#i've been there for her through some pretty dark shit over the past three years

[pinktinselmonstrosity]

do you guys think it's unreasonable to want people to make an effort to be around you

[mysecretlittlelibrary]

Just Let Me Adore You Pt. 6

Pairing: Stucky x Reader

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: okay so... it all goes to shit here kind of lol

Genre: angst fr

Summary: You’ve been dating your boyfriend, Bruce, for 3 absolutely blissful years. He’s a scientist and professor who is as smart as he is kind and if anyone asked, you were sure you’d spend the rest of your life with him. That is until two mysteriously charming men that Bruce swears are dangerous take an interest in you that threatens to turn your entire life upside down. I mean… what exactly are you supposed to do with two gorgeous men telling you something that suggests that basically everything you think you know is a lie? And why does part of you have enough doubt to wonder if they might be telling the truth?

Series Masterlist

***

"Mom- how could you not tell me?" You ask her forcing yourself to remain calm.

"Well, your father and I-"

"Daddy knows too?" You ask quietly because the idea that your parents agreed to keep you in the dark makes this whole thing that much harder to process.

"Of course he does."

"Why would you keep this a secret from me?"

"Because we weren't sure you'd ever turn."

"What?"

"In both your father and I we have a rare genetic thing, our wolf genes are dormant. Neither of us can turn- we thought, maybe you wouldn't be able to either and we didn't want the pressure of knowing that to affect you growing up. It can be very hard, being a wolf who can't be a wolf. We worried that if we told you that you would go through middle and high school thinking you were broken because you never turned. It's- wonderful that you have! I can tell you anything you want to know now that-"

"I haven't." You mutter.

"You haven't?"

"I haven't turned."

"Then- where did the question come from? How did you suspect you were a werewolf if you haven't turned?"

"I got clocked." You mutter.

"You got clocked?!"

"Yep. Some guys, near strangers, actually told me I was a werewolf. I've been mulling it over for like the past month wondering if it was even possible. I finally decided to just give you a call and put the whole thing to rest."

"Okay, wait strangers told you? How would they know?"

"They're werewolves. There are actually quite a few of them out here apparently mom."

"And one of them realized you were one?"

"Two of them but, it would appear so. And now I have a second problem."

"What is it baby?"

"These same men that told me I was a werewolf, told me Bruce has known this whole time." You say.

"Bruce your scientist boyfriend?"

"Yes mom my scientist boyfriend, who specializes in studying supernatural creatures. Would've been nice to know I WAS ONE before committing three years to him!" You huff.

"Wait you never told us he studied supernaturals. Why would you leave that out?"

"Because why would my human parents care about what he's sciencing mom?!" You scoff.

"You're okay with him experimenting on supernaturals as long as you aren't one?!"

"He doesn't experiment on them he does pretty much exclusively observational research as far as I know. Mom, what do I do if he's known this whole time and kept it from me? How do I even ask him something like that?"

"Be direct. And look out for the tells."

"Tells?"

"I know as a kid you had such sensitive hearing you could tell if someone was coming to the house before they even reached the front porch and I'm sure by now you've learned to manage that sensory response but if you can focus, you'll be able to hear his heart, hear his breathing change. If you can't focus watch for if he makes eye contact, or if he starts fidgeting, sweating, or pacing. Those are the tells of a liar. Plus regardless of if he's known all this time or not, I don't like the idea of you dating someone that treats our kind like lab rats."

"Okay well, I guess my life is imploding. I'll call you later. I have questions about this werewolf thing but I must first sort out the boyfriend drama." You tell her.

"Alright dear, take care of yourself hm? And tell Wanda I said hello." 

"HI MOM! BYE MOM!" Wanda shouts before you hang up.

"Bye Wanda dear!" She says and the call ends there.

"So- you're a werewolf. I was right!" Wanda practically squeals in excitement.

"Okay you need to calm down." You tell her.

"I need to calm down?! How are you not less calm?"

"I think I'm still in shock. Kind of. But also I've been considering this for a while now. Plus Steve and Bucky being right about this means they might also be right about Bruce."

"You really think Bruce knew you were a werewolf this whole time and kept it from you?" Wanda frowns.

"Believe me I don't want to but I have to consider it. He swore Steve and Bucky were delusional liars and- if they were telling the truth about the wolf thing why would they lie about Bruce?"

"So are you going to ask him?"

"I have to. Don't I?"

"Unless you have access to his research yeah."

"How would access to his research help me avoid asking?"

"Well, for him to find out even though you didn't know, he'd have to have run a blood test or something on you at some point and I'm sure he kept them on file somewhere."

"I'll just ask him. I wouldn't feel comfortable going through his files anyway."

"I dunno considering it's likely that he's been running tests on you fuck his privacy in my opinion. Do you have access to his research?"

"Technically, yes, but he takes his laptop to the lab with him usually. I wouldn't be able to go through it without him here. It'll just be quicker to ask him. Mom says I should be able to tell if he's lying about it." You shrug.

"Well there ya go." She says.

"Would it be awful if I waited?" You grimace. The thought of this makes your stomach turn.

"No, it's gonna be a tough confrontation you should do it when you feel ready. Although it's probably not good to let it fester. Can I ask what's holding you back?"

"If he's lying I need to be prepared to leave and I wanna have that in order first-"

"I can't believe you're saying that as if I'm not right here! Pack a bag or two right now and I'll take your stuff to my place. As soon as you find out he's lying head right out the door and come to mine."

"Wait- do you think he's lying Wanda?"

"How should I know?"

"You said as soon as I find out he's lying, as if he for sure is and it's just a matter of confirming. You think Steve and Bucky are right about this?"

"They were right about you being a werewolf. You said it yourself, if they weren't lying about that why this?" She shrugs. "I know you love Bruce but it's not farfetched that in 3 years with all he knows about supernaturals, he suspected you were one, like I did, but unlike me he did what he could to confirm that suspicion."

"Oh." You frown.

"I'm sorry y/n. I don't want to believe that he would do that to you, but you know I've always had my reservations about him."

"No I- I know. It's a valid thought. I mean Steve and Bucky were right about one thing and if I was so sure they were wrong about Bruce I wouldn't feel the need to ask him in the first place but- the ethics of his research have always been a point of contention for me so, I'm not surprised we're here anyway."

"Honestly if he's been telling the truth that's great, but what you should pay more attention to is how he reacts to the question regardless. I mean- everything you thought you knew just got flipped on its head he should understand why that would raise more questions especially since the source of one truth is the source of this information."

"I dunno he's been pretty agitated about this whole wolf mafia thing. Every time we talk about Steve and Bucky he's like in hyper defense. Sometimes it feels like he doesn't believe I can think for myself. If I'm not agreeing with him he says it's because I'm too naive or too trusting or whatever."

"That's- kind of ugly." Wanda mutters and you laugh.

"He's paranoid and he feels guilty."

"Guilty?"

"Because if I'm in danger it's because of his research all those years ago. Not that anyone has made any indication that I'm in danger it's just- knowing all of these supposed mobsters are in my social vicinity he assumes they're just waiting to strike. Circling me like sharks." You chuckle.

"If anything it seems like they're circling to protect though?"

"Bruce would have an aneurysm even trying to consider that possibility." You scoff.

"Okay well, pack some things. You don't have to take him on today but since I'm here we'll pack your evacuation stuff now and just keep it at mine til you do."

"Maybe I should be giving him the benefit of the doubt." You sigh as you pull your small suitcase out of your closet.

"I think you're giving plenty of benefit by bothering to ask him and not just assuming he's lying."

"Yeah but- packing like this? As if I'm expecting to hear a lie and need to escape?" You frown, folding up clothes and packing them into the suitcase without much thought.

"Hope for the best but prepare for the worst that's what you always say. I know it's hard when the worst is that your boyfriend betrayed your trust but it'll be easier to face if you're ready for that possibility."

"Right. Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst." You nod.

"So- if the werewolves end up being right about him, what's your plan with them?"

"My plan with them?"

"Yeah, like- will you go talk to them?"

"I dunno. I have no way of contacting them Wanda they just kind of appear every couple of weeks. It's not like I can go looking."

"I think you could." She shrugs.

"How does one go looking for werewolf possibly crime lords?"

"Well you said Peter knows two of their men?"

"Maybe. I mean Peter knows two of the werewolf mobsters yes but. That only helps if Steve and Bucky really are on top like Bruce thinks they are. If not the last thing I wanna do is have more werewolves looking for me."

"Hm, I guess dealing with Steve and Bucky can wait. First we deal with Bruce." She tells you.

"Yeah sure- I guess so." You agree and finish packing your things for her to take to her place. Despite Wanda's conviction on the matter, you don't have the courage to confront Bruce when he comes home that night. You have dinner and discuss his day and wind down together like you do every other night. You pretend that nothing is wrong and can I just say you are one hell of an actress because Bruce does not suspect a thing. In fact you sit on this information for days before you deal with anything and it's not exactly by choice. The bell at the front of the store rings and you greet the way you always do.

"Hello! Welcome in!" You call, looking up to see Wanda walking towards you with serious conviction. "Uh oh." You mutter.

"Hi Peter!" Wanda says without even looking for him knowing he works pretty much every shift with you at this point.

"Miss Wanda! Hi!" Peter pokes his head into view from behind some shelves. Wanda waves at him and then turns her attention to you with a point.

"You." She says.

"Me."

"You need to talk to him." Wanda says.

"I will! I just-"

"No no you just nothing. You've been sitting on this for over four days. What are you gonna do just pretend it's all okay for the rest of your life?" She crosses her arms. You knew this was coming, and to her credit, she has left you to your devices until now.

"No of course not, but- I'm not ready." You sigh.

"Y/n right now you don't know if you can trust him and that's something you need to sort out because a relationship without trust is like, jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. Death waiting to happen."

"Sorry I'm not eager to risk blowing up my entire relationship." You shrug.

"Newsflash the fact that you're in this situation at all means your relationship is probably already fucking doomed. Especially if the truth is what we're worried that it is, then your relationship has been over for a looooong time."

"Ouch." You frown.

"Honey if he's been lying to you this whole time then he thinks you're a fool. Do not let him make a fool of you.  When you get off work, talk to him or I will come to your apartment and accuse him myself."

"That is a terrible idea." You shake your head.

"I know, the point is to light a fire under your butt so you take care of it yourself. Because you know I'll do it."

"Why can't you just let me do this on my own time?" You pout.

"I wish I could but as your best friend it would be irresponsible for me to pretend that I'm okay with this ignorance is bliss act you have going on to protect your relationship with a man who we suspect is lying to you. All you're doing is wasting your time and I can't in good conscience allow that to go on especially because in a few months you'll probably bitch at me if I do and if I were in your shoes you would have my head."

"I know you're right but I hate you for it."

"You will thank me later, and I will maybe see you tonight. At the very least I expect a text or I'll be banging on your door by this time tomorrow." She leans over the counter and kisses your cheek before sauntering out of the store.

"What a terror." You sigh to yourself.

"Wanda left?" Peter asks coming up to the counter.

"Yeah. She only came in to yell at me in person so I couldn't ignore her."

"Yell at you for what?" Peter laughs.

"Avoiding my problems. Honestly Peter the best and worst thing you can do is have a best friend that will ride your ass because they will have your back but man is it annoying to hear when you're not acting in your own best interest." You roll your eyes and he laughs some more.

"I'll- keep that in mind. I don't have much in the way of friends honestly so, I'd say you're pretty lucky to have her."

"Aw come on Sam and Clint don't ride you about being responsible and shit?" You ask.

"They're barely responsible themselves." He snorts.

"Fine then I'll be accountability friend."

"You'll be my accountability friend?"

"Yeah! I'm already Wanda's. Usually. Right now my life is minorly in shambles so she's mine but we swap as necessary. I can do the same for you." You say ruffling his hair. Peter makes a face but he doesn't complain about your affection. He never does.

"I mean you don't have to-" Peter trails off.

"I know but, you're a sweet kid. I'm sure I've got tons of advice I can offer you." You shrug.

"Oh- I appreciate it. You've been real nice to me since I started here so, thanks."

"Of course Peter." You smile at him. The rest of your shift passes quicker than you'd like it to because now as you're closing up with Peter you're thinking about the conversation you now have to have with Bruce. When you unlock your apartment the smell of food hits you first. You kick off your shoes and walk into the kitchen where Bruce is pulling a tray out of the oven.

"Hey Brucey." You say.

"Hi babe, welcome home." He says.

"Thank you. What'd you make?" You ask him, setting the table for you to eat.

"Stuffed peppers and roasted potatoes."

"Sounds good!"

"You're just in time to try them." Bruce puts the peppers on a serving plate and walks them over to the table with the potatoes. The two of you sit down and eat together, mostly in silence, but eventually, when your plates are almost empty, you initiate conversation.

"So how was your day? Did you go to the lab today?" You ask him.

"I did yeah. Nothing terribly interesting happened really just analyzing data and whatnot." He shrugs. "How was your day? Any shitty customers today?"

"Not particularly, we don't tend to get a lot of those anyway. Wanda came to visit for a little bit but that's about all." You tell him.

"That's nice." He nods and you feel your heartbeat start thundering as you convince yourself to get to the point.

"Yeah. I need to talk to you about something actually." You say standing to clear your dinner plate. You feel like if you walk you can dispel the nervous tension you're feeling.

"Oh? What's up babe?"

"You know how Steve and Bucky said I was a werewolf?"

"Yes and we agreed they were delusional. Why? Did you run into them again?" Bruce shifts in his chair to look at you as you lean against the counter by the sink.

"No, I haven't seen them since the last time we spoke about them a couple weeks ago it's just- well I finally called my mom about the whole thing-"

"Why would you call your mom if their claims are baseless?"

"Becuase it was the easiest way to put an end to any doubt it's not that big of a deal, I call my mom for all sorts of things Bruce."

"I mean sure but it's a weird question to ask her since you aren't-"

"Except I am." You say, crossing your arms. You barely catch Bruce's eyes widen before he turns back around in his chair so his back is facing you. He takes his time pushing the seat back to stand up while you keep talking. "Yeah according to my mom I actually am a werewolf. She never told me because of a dormant gene in our family, but I definitely am one. Steve and Bucky were telling the truth." You say. Bruce clears his throat and walks over to the sink placing his dinner plate into it.

"Well how are you feeling about it? I mean this is sort of big-"

"What I want to know, is if you already knew." You cut him off backing up a bit to put more space between you.

"What?" He asks with a little chuckle that you think is nervousness.

"Steve and Bucky were right about me being a werewolf, so it begs the question were they also right about you knowing and keeping it from me?"

"Oh come on that's ridiculous, for me to somehow find that out and hide part of your identity from you? I can't believe you'd even entertain the notion." He shakes his head. You look him over carefully, considering your mother's advice. He's not sweating, but he also hasn't looked at you since you said you were a werewolf, he's not exactly pacing but you look down and realize he's rolling his fingers together. "Y/n, come on you can't seriously think that I'd deceive you that way can you? I mean these strangers get one lucky guess and suddenly you trust them more than me?" Bruce adds when the silence drags on longer than he'd like. His heart, focus on his heartbeat. You take another few seconds to try and pick it up. When you really focus like this you can pick up on so many things it can be overwhelming but you force yourself to pick up his heart rate and it's not as steady as it should be. Not full blown panicked pounding but definitely nervously fast.

"I don't know who I can trust Bruce." You say.

"Me! I've never given you a reason to think otherwise. You can trust me. Why would I lie to you?"

"It makes sense."

"No it doesn't."

"Yes it does. Your supernaturals research is your life. I mean you've studied enough werewolves, it's not impossible to think that you'd know you're sharing a home with one or suspect it and convince yourself it's necessary to investigate those suspicions."

"I can't believe you think I would do that to you."

"I don't want to. God knows I don't want to but it's hard not to when you won't even look at me. You haven't looked at me since I told you I was a werewolf and you always look at me when we talk. It's hard when I know how much supernatural studies takes up your life, I know you've tracked and trapped werewolves before so you obviously know how to identify one, but I'm supposed to believe you wouldn't be able to clock one sharing a bed with you?! It's hard when at every turn you tried to convince me Bucky and Steve were crazy. You swore it was impossible for them to be right about this and now look at where we are. The impossible is not only possible it's true. So if they were telling the truth about one thing, why not the other? And when I think about it, like really think about it, since the second 'lie' is dependant on believing the first 'lie'- if you really thought they were insane and lying to manipulate me, why were you so against me calling my parents to find out? I mean if you truly believed it was false a quick call to confirm that would've immediately dismissed the second lie and we wouldn't be here. Your continued objection doesn't make sense unless you knew they weren't lying."

"This is ridiculous y/n I love you, I would never hurt you-"

"If you're lying to me Bruce you've already hurt me. And the fact that you have yet to actually deny it is enough of an answer."

"ALL I'VE DONE IS DENY IT!"

"NO YOU HAVEN'T! You've said it's ridiculous, you've said you can't believe I think that, you've said you'd never hurt me, you've it doesn't make sense, you've said I trust them more than you, but you have not at any point said 'no y/n I didn't already know you were a werewolf and kept it a secret from you.' So yeah, I'll take that as a confession."

"You- you started this conversation assuming I was guilty."

"Do not turn this on me Bruce. If you can't look me in the eye right now and say you didn't know I was a werewolf and keep it a secret from me... I'm leaving."

"And going where? To those crime lords, y/n they do not have your best interests in mind. You'll get hurt."

"Say it Bruce. Say you didn't know." You say quietly. There's a stretch of silence that you take as your answer and without another word, you put on your shoes and grab your bag still by the door.

"Y/n wait!" Bruce says before you can leave.

"You still can't say the one thing I asked of you." You say pulling open the apartment door and leaving without even looking at him.

***

Part 6/???

Tagged Users: @cjand10 @vicmc624 @mandijo17

[ghost-in-the-hella]

Hi could I prompt 38. holding hands in a museum to pull them to the next exhibition and Pricefield please? ^^

Better hella late than never, right? According to the prompt list, 38 is actually "swinging hands back and forth, skipping like children" so I've thrown that in as well as holding hands and pulling to the next exhibition. Bonus hand holding!

I've also decided that Victoria wasn't the only Blackwell student to survive the storm in this particular story, because fuck it. Let some people live.

---

Chloe loves date nights. She and Max never really got a chance to officially date; after all, once someone has let an entire town and most of its inhabitants get razed to the ground for you, ‘dinner and a movie’ feels like a bit of an unnecessary step. They’d left Arcadia Bay that day and just sort of naturally shifted from “Max and Chloe: Best Friends Forever” to “Max and Chloe: Old Married Couple” pretty much immediately. They had been together for three years before it occurred to either of them that they had never actually ever gone on a “date.”

Regular date nights became a thing shortly thereafter, and even though they both acknowledge that the whole thing’s a bit silly considering how joined at the hip they are, date night is usually Chloe’s favorite night of the week. She loves getting dressed up and going out with Max, letting the world know that they belong together. She loves feeling like a ‘normal’ couple, one with an appropriate meet-cute story instead of one forged in magic and mass destruction.

Plus, Max is just so fucking adorable when it’s her turn to plan a date.

Tonight Max seems extra nervous about whatever she’s got in store, which is endearing but also a bit silly because Chloe literally always loves her dates no matter what they are. Max could take her to a stupid sporting event Chloe gives zero fucks about and she wouldn’t care as long as she could sit next to her girlfriend and hold her hand.

Chloe’s pretty sure they’re not going to watch sportsball or whatever, though, judging by the way Max is getting all dressed up. She’s wearing her best black slacks - she even got out the ironing board and pressed them, so this shit is serious - and the dark blue button down shirt that Chloe always teases her about because she got it in the kids’ section (but damn if it doesn’t bring out her eyes). She’s paired it with one of the many neckties she’s collected from thrifting, a thin black and brown plaid number she’s tied and untied and retied half a dozen times in the past twenty minutes.

“...Should I be getting dressed up for this?” Chloe asks. “‘Cause I hella feel like I should be getting dressed up for this.”

“You don’t have to,” Max rushes to assure her. “But, um, it’d be nice if you did? But you don’t have to. No one’s gonna, like, look at you funny if you’re in jeans and a t-shirt or whatever.” Her face pales. “Oh, fuck, maybe I’m dressing up too much. Is this too much? Should I lose the tie?”

“The tie is adorable.” Chloe puts calming hands on her shoulders. “Chill. You look amazing. I can’t really tell you if it’s too much or not since you won’t tell me where we’re going, but… I’m gonna say you look perfect.” She pulls out a pair of skinny jeans that don’t have any holes in them and the collared shirt and vest she wore to Joyce’s third wedding. “Here. I’ll match you. We can be fancy together.”

“You don’t have to do that…”

“Are you saying you don’t want to see me in this vest again? Because I seem to remember you wanting to rip it off of me last time I wore it.”

Blush stains Max’s cheeks. “Um. Yeah. Okay. Vest is good. Yes to the vest.”

Chloe chuckles and enjoys Max’s admiration as she changes into her dapper-butch best. She usually opts for comfort over fashion, but fuck it. It’s date night.

They hold hands through the subway ride, the crush of bodies around them putting wrinkles in their fancy clothes. It’s a Friday night, so they’re far from the only people in the car dressed up for a night on the town. Every time the train lurches to a stop, Max loses her footing and bumps smack into Chloe’s chest. Two years in this city, and Max still hasn’t gotten her subway legs. “Landlubber,” Chloe teases the fifth time it happens. Max sticks out her tongue in response, because at heart she’s still a bratty eight-year-old. Chloe responds in kind, because same.

Their destination is a museum, and Chloe is far from surprised. “Nerd,” she whispers affectionately in Max’s ear as Max drags her toward the building by her hand. It’s all lit up like a party. Max has taken her to a fair few openings at galleries over the years. Apparently, this is the museum equivalent. There’s wine and cheese and dozens of people spinning artsy nonsense. They are neither the fanciest nor the least fancy people there.

For an art shindig, it’s pretty cool. The music isn’t really Chloe’s style, but it’s live which is always cool. There’s a fuckton of finger foods being passed around on trays and living on long tables.

Max holds her hand tightly, which isn’t that unusual for the first few minutes in a new place. She lets Chloe haul her to the food tables and doesn’t needle Chloe for piling up a plate with more food than is reasonable. Normally, Max would then drag Chloe from art piece to art piece, lingering for a painfully long time at some, maybe occasionally pointing out an artist in the room whose work she admires but who she can’t get up the nerve to talk to (and then almost dying of embarrassment when Chloe marches her over and introduces them both, then thanking Chloe profusely once the ordeal is over).

But this time, Max is being weird. This time, Max is the one trailing Chloe around the room, glancing around impatiently as if she can’t wait to move on when Chloe lingers too long at an artwork. “All good, Max?” Chloe asks.

“Mhm,” Max grunts tightly. “Totally fine.”

“This show’s pretty cool. You try the goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon? They’re fucking phenomenal. We should fill our pockets with them.”

“Mhm…” Max’s eyes trail off toward the hallway.

“Seriously, dude. You wanna create the diversion, or shall I?”

“Mhm…”

Chloe frowns. “Okay, cool. I’ll streak around the room and you fill your pockets with as many dates as you can grab before security makes me put clothes on.”

“Mhm…”

Chloe lightly digs an elbow into Max’s side. “Babe. This date is getting kinda lonely without you.”

Max blinks back to reality. “Oh, Chloe, I’m sorry! I’m just… kind of distracted.” She squeezes Chloe’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go to the next exhibit, okay?”

Chloe shovels the rest of her food in her face and ditches her empty plate before Max drags her into the hall. “So what is all this?” Chloe asks as Max speedwalks her through the next room, barely pausing to admire the artwork.

“There’re a couple of different exhibits opening tonight,” Max tells her. “I’ve been really excited about it for a while.”

“Really? You coulda fooled me. Max, you’re gonna sprain an ankle if you jog past the art any faster.”

“Sorry,” Max apologizes again with a cringe. “This is supposed to be our special date night and I’m ruining it…”

“You’re not ruining it,” Chloe assures her. “But you are acting hella weird. Are you gonna tell me what’s going on of your own free will or do I have to tickle it out of you?”

Max grabs Chloe’s hands preemptively with a look of panic. “No tickling. Please.” Her cheeks turn red and she glances around nervously. “There are totally famous artists here,” she says with hushed reverence. “And probably, like… agents and gallery reps and people like that.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t embarrass you in front of them,” Chloe chuckles. “But you’d better start talking, Caulfield.” Max worries her lower lip between her teeth, deep in contemplation. “I think it’d be better if I show you,” she says at last in a voice filled with determination. She releases one of Chloe’s hands but grips the other tighter. “Come on,” she says, “follow me.”

Even if Chloe wanted to, she couldn’t decline without risking injury: Max’s fingers have her own in an iron embrace and when she starts walking with a purpose toward a nearby door Chloe needs to scramble into action before her shoulder gets yanked from its socket. “Woah, okay then,” she mumbles as she chases after Max.

Chloe can’t remember the last time Max’s palm felt so sweaty pressed against her own. If Max’s fingers weren’t so firmly locked into her own, she’d be in danger of slipping right out of her grasp. “Where are we going?” she asks breathlessly as they race through one room to another, then down a hallway and into yet another room filled with artwork that blurs on the walls as they run past. Max doesn’t seem to notice the stern looks of the security guards they pass, which is so uncharacteristic that it’s a little alarming.

“You’ll see,” Max pants as she drags her into another room then stops so abruptly that Chloe has to slam on the brakes not to bowl her over. She takes a deep gulp of air and lets it out. “We’re here.”

Chloe takes a moment to let her lungs stop screaming - damn, she really needs to quit smoking - then starts looking around. It looks like… an art exhibit. Photography specifically; no wonder Max wanted to come here. Photographs in understated frames on every wall and every partition. Some small, some large, some so big they’re basically murals. Some as small as… polaroids. Huh.

Max’s grip slackens but doesn’t release. “Come on,” she says in a nervous voice. She tugs Chloe’s arm gently, and Chloe follows her over to the small squares displayed salon style (Chloe’s been going to way too many art shows) on a far wall. Chloe’s heart thumps in her chest. “Max, is this what I think it is?” she asks in a small voice.

It is. Holy shit, Max’s photos are in a museum. A legit, honest to god or what-the-fuck-ever museum. It takes Chloe a minute to remember to breathe. “Oh my god, Max,” she chokes out at last. She’s shaking, she’s so fucking proud. She has to wipe her eyes multiple times before she can actually see what she’s really looking at.

They’re beautiful. Candid shots from Max’s day to day life, little glimpses into who she is and what she loves. Tea rising from a steaming cup with a delicate handle and Kate Marsh’s equally delicate hand resting beside it. Chloe’s bare back as she naps on the couch after a particularly tiring day of work, their rescue cat Cassie curled up on the tangle of her legs. Sunlight shining through Lisa’s leaves and casting shadows on their bedroom floor. Chloe standing outside Max’s job waiting for her shift to end, smoking a cigarette under the No Smoking sign. A cup of black coffee next to an open copy of The Thief’s Journal like a goddamn instagram shot because Max is still a fucking hipster. Chloe putting on eyeliner, framed by their bathroom door. Chloe, shirtless, cradling Cassie to her chest like a baby. Chloe, Chloe, Chloe.

Her heart swells. She’s always loved Max’s work, but even with her limited art knowledge she can tell that Max has improved by leaps and bounds over the years. She recognizes these photos; she helped Max pick them out months ago. Some call for artists Max didn’t think she was good enough to submit her work to. “You did it,” Chloe says softly. “You applied.”

“At the last possible moment,” Max admits. She looks a bit like she wants to throw up. “I almost didn’t do it. But you helped me so much with choosing the photos to submit and with filling out the application and… You just believed in me so much. So I thought maybe I should try to believe in myself, too.”

Chloe slips her hand from Max’s and immediately pulls her into a fierce hug. A lump fills her throat as she fights back tears. “Damn right,” she forces out, trying to sound gruff and failing miserably. “I am so fucking proud of you, Max.”

“Thank you,” Max says, muffled against Chloe’s chest.

Eventually Chloe releases her with a huge grin. “My partner, a big time photographer with art in a museum. Wait’ll I tell Dana and Kate.”

Max groans in pleased embarrassment. “It’s only a temporary exhibit,” she protests halfheartedly. “It’s not like I’m in the permanent collection or anything.”

“An exhibit for New Voices in the World of Photography,” Chloe replies, pointing emphatically at the vinyl letters on the wall. “And it’s in a legit, actual museum, Max. Like, you know I’m impressed as fuck when your work hangs on, like, the walls of a shitty restaurant or whatever, but this is the big time.” She gestures at the wall text. “They’re calling you an emerging artist. That means you’re coming up in the world, dude. They expect great things of you, they’re looking forward to seeing how your career progresses and are honored to champion your work... Have you actually read this?? This is incredible, Max.”

“They’re saying it about all of us, not just me,” Max mumbles self-consciously.

“Yeah, but they’re saying it about All. Of. You. Not ‘everyone except Max Caulfield, she got in by mistake.’ You’re included in this.”

“I guess so…”

“No negative vibes. Be proud of yourself.”

“Okay, okay,” Max chuckles sheepishly. “I’m trying.”

“Good.” Chloe snorts. “Have you told Victoria about this? I bet she’s shitting herself.”

“Um, I didn’t have to. She got in, too.”

“Well… Good for her, then.” She wrinkles her nose. “Oh, crap, does that mean she’s around here somewhere?”

“Probably,” Max admits.

“She’s probably too busy hobnobbing with the famous folks to notice a couple of plebs like us. I guess we should probably say hi at some point, though.” Chloe shudders.

Max jostles her shoulder. “She’s been way more chill since she and Steph got together. We actually had a really helpful conversation about photography the last time we saw each other. She’s pretty nice when she’s not convinced she isn’t allowed to be.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it. But in the meantime, why don’t we stare at your incredible pictures some more and then we can check out the rest of the exhibits. The night is still young.”

Max indulges Chloe’s fussing for a few more minutes, letting Chloe take pictures of her with her phone as she poses by her photographs even as her embarrassed blush gets redder and redder. Eventually, she convinces Chloe to move on so that the other people circulating the room can actually see her art, too.

“Okay,” Chloe sighs reluctantly. “I guess it’s rude to hog all the Max Caulfield originals all to myself.” She reaches down and squeezes Max’s hand. “As long as I can hang onto the original Max Caulfield original.”

Max laughs and squeezes back. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

It starts off innocently enough, just a little sway to their hands as they walk through the rest of the exhibit. By the time they’ve reached the hallway they’re straight up skipping, arms swinging back and forth between them like a jump rope building momentum. Chloe can’t remember the last time she felt this light and easy, skipping and giggling uncontrollably with her best friend like a couple of giddy kids.

So what if there are famous people there? So what if Victoria Chase is probably watching them from a distance like a particularly judgemental hawk? So what if the security guards are distinctly unamused by their hijinks. Chloe’s partner has work in a goddamn mother fucking museum. Chloe’s partner is proud of herself.

Who gives a fuck what anybody else thinks?

[your-eternal-muse]

Use me (Part two)

Summery: Reader takes Spencer up on his offer to rid her system of "The Wizard".

Warnings: Hard core, nasty ass smut; fingering, oral sex,(female receiving); penetration; unprotected sex/creampie; multiple orgasams

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

A/N: Here it is. Part two. I'll link part one in a bit after I do some things, but other than that enjoy! And yes, there will be a part three.

Part 1

Im dead.

The substance that he injected me with was lethal, and I'm laying in a dark alley somewhere, dead, because kissing Spencer Reid is heaven.

His hands grip my hips, holding me against him as he presses me into his window.

His lips are soft and warm, and easily tell me what to do and when to do it.

My body is on fire in the best way possible.

My fingers run their way through his hair, tugging on the satin strands as he kisses his way down my jaw, leaving bite marks until he finds the pulse point just above my collarbone.

Every touch, every kiss, sends waves down to my core, where it waits drowning in my juices.

He's situated between my legs, his ever present bulge pressing just so onto me.

It's driving me insane.

Without thinking, my hips buck forward, and the small ounce of pressure starts a ball forming in my gut.

I feel him smile against my neck, before he detaches himself.

We're both breathless, chests heaving, and my hands are shaking as I grip his dress shirt.

"Tell me what you need, Princess."

Fantasies, y/n, think of your fantasies.

"I-I need your fingers."

While I'm talking, he removed the holster from his hip, setting it on the desk beside us.

"Please, Spence. You haven't even touched me and I'm so close."

His hands immediately find the button of my jeans, undoing them and pushing them down just enough to have room.

He doesn't hesitate, cupping my sex through my panties.

"So fucking wet. Is this what I do to you?"

I can't speak through the mewls leaving my throat, so I just nod.

"Words, please." His voice is steady, and I know if it were different circumstances, he'd punish me for making him repeat himself.

But right now, he just runs his fingers over the fabric, back and forth through the wetness.

"Yes, fuck, you make me so wet Spencer."

That must have been what he wanted to hear, because in one swift motion, without removing his fingers from my skin, he goes up my stomach, and then down again, slipping under the band of my underwear.

He runs his fingers through my folds, easily slipping a finger into my heat.

My hand clutches his upper arm, my mouth hanging open in ecstacy as he pumps his finger in and out.

"Tell me what you want me to do, Princess. I want to make you feel good."

You're already doing that babe.

I try and gather my thoughts, and right as I'm about to speak, he slips another finger in.

"Fuck." My head hits the glass panel of his window.

My fingers are going to leave bruises on his bicep, but I really could not care less at this point.

His lips attach themselves to my neck, and the warm ball deep inside me starts to grow.

But I need more.

"F-Faster. Please go faster."

"Anything for you, baby girl."

His fingers move faster within me, and I grind down into them every time they enter me.

He leaves my neck, looking down at the work he's doing, his breathing a lot smoother than my own.

With his free hand, he takes the hand of mine that's still gripping his shirt, and he leads it up to his lips.

He gently kisses the tips of my first two fingers before taking them into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the digits, all while keeping direct eye contact.

I almost cum at the sight.

He leads them from his mouth, down my stomach, stopping to rest at the bundle of nerves at the top.

"Touch yourself."

Yes sir.

I frantically start moving circles over my clit, as his fingers continue pumping in and out of me.

And then it happens.

He curls his fingers as he enters me, and sparks are sent up and down my spine.

I can't help but gasp.

"Yes, fuck fuck fuck, right there. Holy shit."

His long slender fingers move faster and faster within me, curling around that pretty little spot until boom.

My orgasm hits me like a train, as I clench around his fingers, which are still moving as I cum.

My chest rises and falls, as I try to catch my breath, and he removes his hand.

And for one, blissful moment, the fire disappears.

Before it comes crashing back.

He seems to read me like a book, pulling me towards him again.

"You don't think I'm finished with you yet, do you?"

Thank fuck.

I can't help but smile, moving my hands up his chest to lay at the nape of his neck, pulling him down into another kiss.

His hands run down my back, over my ass, to rest on the back of my thighs.

With one finger, he taps the muscle, and on shaky legs, I manage to jump high enough for him to place his hands just above the back of my knees to carry me.

While he makes his way through his apartment to his bedroom, I trail kisses down his neck, leaving marks of my own in their wake.

He lays me on the bed, hovering over me as one hand finds the hem of my shirt, pushing it up over my stomach.

He steps back, standing at the foot of his bed as I lift my grey t-shirt up over my head, tossing it somewhere in his room.

Sweat covers my skin, making my hair stick to my face and neck, and my chest glistens in the dim orange light of his room.

I watch as he brings his fingers up to his mouth, and slowly sucks off my juices.

I brush hair out of my face, watching with lustful fascination.

They leave his mouth with a pop before going to his tie and undoing it.

"You taste so fucking sweet, Princess."

One by one, his fingers travel down his shirt, undoing every button on their way down.

I sit up, crawling over to him, pushing the fabric from his shoulders.

My fingers run over his chest, and down his stomach, pausing at his belt as I undo the buckle.

His hands come up to cradle my face, as he kisses me again.

I'll never get used to him kissing me.

I want his taste engraved into my tongue.

Why the hell can't I have an eidetic memory?

Even without one though, I know I'll never forget this.

My hand sneaks into his pants, palming him over his boxers.

His moan breaks the kiss, and his eyes fall shut.

How can someone look so beautiful with my hand down their pants?

"As much as I would love to see that pretty little mouth wrapped around my cock," his breathes are more labored now, and his hands fall from my face to grasp my hips. "Tonight's about making you feel good."

I didn't even realize his hands had moved until the clasp of my bra was undone.

"Now, be a good girl and lie down." He whispers.

I'm past the point of being embarrassed, laying down without another word, a blush crawling up my neck.

"God, you're so fucking beautiful,"He crawls over me, encaging me in his arms.

He kisses me once, before traveling down my neck and chest, stopping only to suckle each of my nipples into his mouth, before continuing down my stomach.

He loops his fingers into the belt loops of my jeans, pulling them down the rest of the way before tossing them behind him.

He then starts at my right ankle, and begins to kiss up my leg, repeating with my left before he comes to settle in between my legs.

He pulls my panties down slowly, watching my reaction as every second passes.

"If you want me to stop, just say so, okay?"

God, I love him.

Not likely, but okay.

I nod, before remembering he told me to use my words. "I understand."

"Good."

I'm going to marry this man.

Purely for the fact that he eats pussy like it's his last fucking meal.

My fingers twist themselves into his hair, as he holds my sex against his mouth, licking and sucking like he hasn't eaten in years.

I spare a glance down and my heart almost stops.

His eyes are closed, and his hair is starting to curl from the humidity in the room.

He must sense me watching, because his eyes open, and I feel him smirk against me.

He licks up through my folds, stopping to suck on my clit until I'm shaking underneath him.

He moves his hand from my hip and grabs one from his hair, once again leading it to my clit as his mouth moves down.

I start rubbing circles, but stutter as I feel his tongue dart into me.

He's watching me now, the way I quiver underneath him, the pathetic moans echoing through his bedroom.

He does it again and again, and I can feel my orgasm teetering on the edge.

He can tell as my circles go frantic, and my hand in his hair holds me closer to him than I thought possible.

"Spencer, I'm gon-"

I'm falling.

Stars explode in my vision, and my back arches off the bed as I cum into his mouth.

I fall, breathless, onto his mattress as be retracts himself from me, a proud smile etched onto his face.

The moment of calm lasts longer this time, but it once again comes back, burning me at the edges.

"I need, I need one more." I plead, my throat hoarse from screaming.

He stands, removing his belt, and letting his pants fall down to the floor.

I lift myself up into my elbows and smile at him.

He pushes his boxers off his hips and I stare, open mouthed as his erection pops free.

God, it's better than I could have ever imagined.

I wipe my chin to make sure I'm not drooling and he laughs.

"Now, I don't have any condoms on me, but-"

"I'm on the pill."

It's the fastest I've spoken tonight, and I slowly start spreading my legs.

"I'm on the pill, and I want, no, need you to cum inside me." I bite my lip, and bat my eyelashes at him. "I even used my words."

I see his dick twitch and he groans, the muscles in his stomach tensing.

"As you wish, Princess."

He crawls back onto the bed, pumping his dick in his hand a couple times, before sliding it through my folds to pick up some wetness.

He isn't even in me yet, and already my hands grip the sheets around us.

"You ready?"

"Yes sir."

He moans, deep and low within his chest, and he smiles."I love it when you call me that."

And then he slowly pushes into me, and my eyes squeeze shut because holy shit he feels better than I could have ever thought.

My dildo at home doesn't even compare to this.

He bottoms out, and he takes a moment to catch his breath."God, you feel so fucking good, baby girl."

I wrap my legs around his waist, and pull his lips down to mine as he slowly starts moving.

I can see sweat build up on his hairline, and his room is going to feel of sex for days.

A part of me thinks he's not gonna care all that much.

His breathing is starting to match my own, and he nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck as his strokes become faster.

My back moves against the softness of his sheets, and my nails dig into the skin of his back.

It doesn't take long for that warm ball to start growing towards my (hopefully) final climax.

"Im cl-close, Spence."

His breath is hit on my neck, and the speed tells me he's close too.

But than his hand finds my hip, and lifts me just so, and the angle in which he snaps back into me makes me choke on air.

Stroke after stroke, he hits a spot deep within me, and I know I'm done for when he whispers "Cum for me," into my ear.

And boy, do I cum.

My soul leaves my body, and I can barely register the warm feeling of his release inside of me as he rides out both of our orgasms.

When I open my eyes, my nails are at the bottom of his back and he's laying on top of me.

I wait for the heat to come back but it doesn't.

My head is clear, and my skin no longer feels like it's on fire.

His head is resting on my chest and I move some hair away from his face, placing a soft kiss on to his forehead.

"Thank you." I don't speak louder than a whisper, not wanting to break the delicate moment. 

I had dreams about this happening. 

Granted, not exactly like this, but I had them.

Now that it's happened, I don't want to let it go.

I don't want to let him go.

He lifts his head and smiles, his eyes soft and his dimples ever present in the dim lighting.

He's so beautiful.

"The pleasure was all mine, y/n." His voice was just as soft, just as afraid to break the fragile air.

He leans forward, kissing me gently one last time before he carefully climbs off of me. 

He leaves the room, and for a moment, I'm alone with my thoughts. And I realize my vagina aches. I reach a hand down and gingerly touch it and his when it pulses. I'm also pretty sure my legs are numb.

I wiggle my toes, just to make sure I can, and he walks back in with a washcloth.

He concentrates as he wipes the cool fabric across my skin, clearing away the evidence of our explosion. He folds it, getting a clean side, before reaching up and wiping my brow and face.

He brushes some hair out of my face, and I grab his wrist, holding his palm there.

His thumb swipes across the apple of my cheek and I close my eyes, content to staying here.

But he has other plans.

"As much as you don't want to, we need to go to the hospital. We need to talk to the team."

I sigh, knowing he's right.

"Hotch is going to be pissed that I gave in to exactly what the unsub wanted. But you know what?" I look up at him.

"What?"

"It was my choice. And I don't regret it for a second."

He smiles, and I swear I see a blush dust his cheeks, but he removes his hand and stands, gathering the clothes strewn about the room.

I sit up on his bed, carefully swinging my legs over the side to place my feet on the hardwood floor, not quite trusting myself to stand.

He hands me my clothes and even goes as far as helping me slide my jeans back up my legs, kissing me once they're situated on my hips.

He goes about putting on his own clothes as I slip my t-shirt back over my head, finally pushing myself up off the bed.

As soon as I'm upright, the room starts spinning, and I place a hand on my forehead, trying to turn to see Spencer.

He drops his shirt as he rushes forward, and my world goes dark.

Use me taglist: @1800-fight-me @cielo1984 @you-had-me-at-hello-dear @rainsong01 @eternityofaxiom

Permanent taglist: @pinkdiamond1016

[wreckofawriter]

Stupid Dance, Stupid Teenagers

Pairing: Remus Lupin x reader

Word Count: 3,135

Warnings: Drinking, mentions of weed? Swearing?

Request: @twilightlover2007: Could I request an imagine with Remus? Bookworm/avid photographer Remus watches from afar until his mates push him to talk to her/ask her to the upcoming ball? :)

A/n: Okay, I am quarantined for a month so I should be writing more but who knows, I am a dumbass. Okay, umm not exscatly in love with this one but I've already re-written it twice so I'm done. So sorry it took so long

Remus felt himself get lost again, before about a month ago he never tended to wander from his classes, they were relatively easy to stick to as most of them were quite interesting, but recently something far more entertaining had caught his attention. 

He watched as your fingers fiddled with the device under your desk two seats to his left and one down. He knew if McGonagall caught you she would give you hell, her patience probably ran out simply because of the sheer number of times she had caught you with the camera during class. 

You weren't doing anything in particular, simply spinning the lense in your hand and clicking on and off the flash. Yet Remus was completely memorised as your fingers moved so gracefully with the object. He had completely forgotten his notes, only a few sentences scribbled down before his eyes found your form. 

He began to wonder how your hands would feel in his hair, fingers ghosting through his curled locks. From there his mind began to wander to your own hair, his eyes following. It looked so soft and smooth, spilling like a waterfall from your head, its y/h/c hue shining in the dusty sunlight which filtered through the classrooms windows. 

A jab in his side forced his gaze from you to his dark haired friend. 

"Uh Moony if you don't take notes then none of us are going to have any and we are definitely going to fail Minnie's test on Friday." Sirius whispered to him.

"Since when do you care if you fail?" Remus muttered.

Sirius flashed a smile, and shrugged, "Since never but you do." 

Remus couldn't exactly argue with that so he simply rolled his eyes and dipped his quill into the ink. But one desk down and two desks over you had taken to messing with your hair and that was far more intriguing so he let his eyes stay there instead. 

Sirius took note of his friend's immediate departure from reality and let out an annoyed huff. 

"Moony seriously," he began knowing just how disappointed in himself the werewolf would be if he didn't score his unusually high performance on the upcoming exam. 

"I'll just ask Lily for notes." He responded, eyes never leaving the girl who sat a few meters away. 

"She never gives anyone notes." Sirius shot back attempting to gain Remus' attention.

"Correction, she never gives you or James notes because you are idiots." Remus commented, still not tearing himself from you.

Sirius was fed up with the lack of attention he was accustomed to receiving and pouted, it only took seconds for that pit to turn to smirk though. 

"Oh well I'm sure that y/l/n would like to hear you've been stalking her for the past month." Sirius' smile grew as his friend's head whipped towards him, eyes just a bit too wide, cheeks tainted a light pink. 

"I have not been stalking her." Remus hissed.

"Sure you haven't, and I'm in love with Malfoy." Sirius grinned, pure ecstasy filling him as Remus turned a deeper red. 

Remus turned away from the Gryffindor attempting to ignore him. In response Sirius plucked the maroon beanie from his head placing it on his own. 

"I don't see why you don't just ask her out." Sirius shrugged leaning back as Remus made a grab for his hat. 

"Give my hat back Sirius." He growled already fed up with his nonsense. 

Sirius pursued his lips pretending to contemplate his answer before breaking out in a smile, "Nah, I think it looks better on me." 

Remus once again rolled his eyes, "I don't want your grease on my hat Pads, now give it back." 

"I don't think I will after that comment." Sirius mused.

Hazel eyes rolled in their sockets once again and he lurched forward in attempts to take the hat from a bed of shimmering black. 

While his efforts did gain him back his beanie, in the process his elbow had found his open bottle of ink and successfully drenched everything on his desk. 

"Shit!" The boy cursed pushing himself backwards to avoid the liquid before it dripped onto his robes. 

"Mr. Lupin!" McGonagall snapped from the front of the class. 

"Sorry Professor!" Remus called back glaring at Sirius who bit back a laugh. 

"Black stop bothering your desk mate." The teacher added in with a glare. 

"Why am I being yelled at?" Sirius questioned.

"Because you are almost always the cause of these issues." 

At this point Remus' mind left the ink now dripping to the floor as his eyes connected to yours. You had a small smile on your face, clearly amused by the situation, your camera was now disregarded on your bag as a quill danced in your hand. The boy told himself to stop staring but it made that nearly impossible. 

You only shook your head slightly and smiled widening before you turned back to your work.

Remus was sure he was still burning red even after his teacher's had vanished the ink from his desk and continued the lesson.  

    The Gryffindor avoided looking at you for the remainder of class. By the time they were dismissed his embarrassment had dulled but not disappeared. Sirius refused to apologise claiming it was not his fault and James thought the whole thing was simply hilarious. So when you appeared in front of the three boys as they exited the classroom different emotions were evoked. 

    “Hey Lupin.” You greeted ignoring the other two boys who stood at his side with wide eyes. 

"Uh h-hey." Remus spoke cursing himself for stumbling over his words. 

You coughed nervously attempting to ignore the fact that three extremely popular boys were now staring you down. Maybe you didn't think this through properly. "Um well I just noticed that your notes were ruined and I am pretty good at this unit so you can use mine if you want." You said shifting your weight from one foot to the other as you spoke. 

The three boys all looked startled, James and Sirius turning to look at Remus who was a bit pale.

You raised your hand to the back of your neck your other holding the notes you had offered up, "It's cool if you don't need them, I'm sure you can get some from Lily or something-"

"No!" Remus said a bit too loudly, cringing at his own actions, "No, Lily would probably be pissed at me anyway." 

Your face visibly brightened, you opened your mouth to speak but was cut off. 

"Y/n come on! We are gonna be late." A girl down the hall huffed. 

"Don't yell at her, she's finally talking to Remus." Another hissed quietly, but not quietly enough. 

Your face erupted into color, "Well I've got to go." You spoke so quickly it was almost inaudible as you shoved the notes at the stunned boy before turning and running towards the group of housemates. 

When you reached them you slapped the two who had spoken with your books you were holding and buried your head in your hands as you walked away. 

Remus stared after you, his cheeks dusted pink as he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 

When you disappeared around the corner James let out a laugh, "That was one of the most awkward things I have ever seen." 

"I think you mean hilarious." Siriua corrected. 

"Shut up." Remus groaned.

"Look on the bright side Moony, now you know she totally has a thing for you so you can ask her out already." James smirked.

"How do we know that exactly?'' the werewolf asked. 

"Are you blind, deaf or just plain stupid?" Sirius mused.

"Yeah Moony come on. She gave you notes, blushed way too much and did you not hear the 'she's finally talking to Remus' conversation?" James giggled. 

"Whatever." Remus scoffed despite the smile twitching on his lips. 

"I can't believe you did that to me." Your groaned face is still hot from the conversation you had a few minutes ago. 

"I'm so sorry y/n/n. I didn't mean to be so loud." The short blonde next to you apologized for the thousandth time. 

"Well thank Godric you were Elle, that was the funniest thing I've seen in awhile." The brunette who sat on your other side laughed, the memory still pleasant in her head.

"Fuck off Nat." Elle glared, "at least she has the guts to talk to the person she likes, you cant even get within five yards of Alice without turning into a mess." 

"That's not fair! It's different." She argued her cheeks tinting red. "Remus obviously likes her." She grumbled, "Everyone knows Alice has a thing for Frank." 

Elle rolled her eyes, "I wish you would just get over her already." 

"Don't we all." You agreed, happy that the conversation isn't centered around your awkward interaction with the Gryffindor boy. 

Class took years but when it finally ended you and your two companions, who were still bickering, walked out to the quidditch pitch. Your camera felt nice in your hands again as you strolled across the bright grass. 

As Natasha walked into the locker rooms Elle joined your side, looking a bit upset. 

You looked through your device pointing it at the girl who looked on the verge of tears. You dropped the camera so it slung around your neck, pulling her into a hug. 

"She'll get over her eventually." You sighed, "I swear she will." 

"I just feel stupid." She whimpered, whipping her tears fiercely. 

"Dont feel stupid, feel artsy." You giggled, "I wanna go a photoshoot with you." 

Her mood changed drastically, "Really!" 

"Yeah come on let's head back to the lake." You grabbed her hand walking her back to the lake and away from the pitch.

Remus watched as you left the pitch from his place on the stands, Sirius was beside him following his gaze to you.

"Her friend is pretty cute, I think I might ask her out." Sirius sighed picking at his nails. 

"I'm sure she has taste." Remus spoke, rolling his eyes. 

Sirius opened his mouth to state his offence but was cut off, "We should go down to the lake." 

"I wonder why you would want to go to the lake?" Sirius hummed faking contemplation

Remus sighed again, "I'll just go without you." 

"Okay, okay, we'll go, but only because watching James practice is super boring." Sirius agreed standing from his seat. 

As the two made their way towards the lake the two could hear loud laughter.

    Remus stopped glancing cautiously around the tree to see you knee-deep in water holding your skirt up with one hand and holding your camera with the other. Your friend was standing on the dock giggling. 

    Despite the fact that she was the one posing you managed to look like an angel. The sun was low in the sky giving you a golden glow as you photographed your friend. Your upper thigh was exposed, your smooth skin visible. Your hair was loose, a strand falling into your face. 

“Tilt your head back.” You instructed, “Take a step towards me and pop your hip.” 

“God y/n/n I feel ridiculous.” Elle spoke but she did as she was told. 

“You’re not the one waist-deep in water.” You shot back closing your mouth and clicking the shutter. 

“I’m also not the one who insisted on getting into the water to get a good angle.” She shot back.

“Shut up and let me take your picture.”

“Are we gonna just stare at them or..?” Sirius asked, causing Remus to jump from his daze. 

“Shut up.” 

“I didn't know you were such a perv Moony.” Sirius giggled. 

“I am not a perv!” He whisper-shouted. 

“You're kinda acting like one.” Siriys shrugged, smirking. 

“Fuck off I cant just let her know I followed her.”

“Why not?” 

“Okay, we're leaving.” Remus sighed beginning to walk back towards the quidditch pitch. 

“I don't understand why you don't just ask her out.” 

“You say that like it's an easy thing.” Remus sighed. 

“Just ask her to the spring dance.” Sirius shrugged, “It's not that hard.” 

“It’s not that hard for you.” Remus corrected him. 

Sirius just rolled his eyes a small smirk finding the way onto his lips. 

Remus narrowed his eyes, suspicion suddenly filling him, “Don’t give me that look.” 

“What look?” Sirius inquired, face still holding the same expression. 

“That look,” Remus spoke emphasizing the first word.

“There is no look.” Sirius insisted. 

“You’re still doing it.” Remus scowled, “Its that look you always get before you do something idiotic.”

“I don’t have a look.” Sirius maintained. 

“You have a look, James has the same one.” The boy said his look turned from annoyed to scary. “I swear Pads, if you and James plan to meddle in my business I will gut you.” 

“I swear I’m not gonna do anything.” Sirius lied through his teeth. 

The pestering did not stop. James and Sirius were relentless. They refused to let Remus rest in peace. He was completely fine with watching you from afar but his two best friends seemed to have other ideas. 

“What about fireworks Moony?” Sirius asked. 

“That's a brilliant idea Pads!” James gasped excitedly. 

“If you set off fireworks around her I will kill you.” Remus hissed. 

“Fine, but if you don’t do something soon, I am going to tell her.” James shrugged.

“You do and I will-”

“Kill us yeah we know.”

“This is a stupid idea.” You groaned ruffling with your neatly pinned hair. 

“Don’t mess with that y/n, it took me years.” Natasha glared at you, her hands were currently buried in Elle's hair. 

“But it's so uncomfortable.” You groaned. “Why are we even going to this stupid thing anyway?” 

“Because you have done nothing but read and edit holed up in your dorm for the past week and we want to get drunk.” Elle replied leaning back into Nats touch. 

“So now I'm gonna have to look after drunk babies too? You're right that is the perfect evening.” You spoke rolling your eyes. 

“Whatever you’ll probably end up boning Remus anyway.” Natasha smirked.

“I will not!” You huffed picking up the closest thing to you which happened to be a hair brush and chucking it at the girl with red cheeks. 

“Will too.” She mumbled, dodging the object with ease. 

You slowly began to remove a few of the pins from your hair as your two best friends began an argument behind you. This was a bad idea. Remus was probably going to think you looked like you tried too hard or that you looked sluty or stupid. This was a really bad idea. But before you could bail the two behind you were standing. 

“Ready to go y/n/n?” Elle asked. 

“I guess.” You mumbled grabbing a book from your bed and following your friends down the stairs. 

Remus could not belive he had been stupid enough to go to this dumb party. He figured it's what he got for being friends with the two most obnoxious party animals in the entire school. Sirius was already hammered and it was not even eight yet. Remus considered making a break for the dorms but before he could he heard a loud shout. 

“Y/N!” Sirius cheered as you and your friends entered the room. 

You jumped a bit flushing as Sirius threw his arm around you offering you a drink which you declined and the blonde next to you took. 

You sighed shrugging off the shoulder as Sirius continued to slur nonsense into your ear. 

Just as Remus had built up the courage to go talk to you James appeared out of nowhere dragging him off to help with his harassment of Lily. When he returned a bit less than an hour later you had disappeared. 

He caught a glimpse of your friend Elle but to his surprise she was drunk making out with an equally drunk Natasha. He blinked a few times and sighed. You had probably ditched, he didn't blame you, he was going to do the same. 

Checking over his shoulder he then quickly he bagan up the stairs unbuttoning the far too tight shirt he had decided to wear. 

He bust open the door to the dorms closing it behind him before turning and freezing. 

You lay on his bed, hairpins strewn around you, a large book in front of you as you sat in an oversized hoodie he recognized as his own. Remus suddenly had the urge to pinch himself, was this some amazing day dream?

You had a light tinge to your cheeks as you spoke, “Hey.” 

Remus swallowed his mouth feeling very dry, “Hey.” 

“I'm really sorry im up here, I went up to the girls room and they were smoking weed and I just can't stand the smell so I thought I would just come up here instead.” You squeaked out, your eyes suddenly lingered downward. 

Remus glanced down at his shirt realizing he had unbuttoned it and blushed widely, quickly fumbling with the buttons. You refused to meet his gaze as he looked back at you. 

“I’m actually kind of glad you're here, I thought you ditched.” He said walking over to you and sitting on the bed opposite. 

“I would but my friends are drunk idiots.” You smiled softly. 

“Yeah they were making out downstairs.”

“WHAT?!” You yelled causing Remus to jump, “Are you serious!?” 

“Umm yeah.”

“Oh my god, finally, Elle has been in love with her since like forever, it was getting very painful.” You sighed.

“I can imagine.” Remus grinned. 

The room fell into silence, neither of you quite sure what to say. You flipped a page despite not having read it. 

“Hey y/n, I’ve actually been meaning to ask you something.” Remus mumbled picking at the end of his dress shirt. 

“Shoot.” You respond, eyes leaving the book in front of you. 

“Would you like to go to that stupid spring fling with me?” He blurted out face washing crimson as your mouth dropped slightly. 

“Of course.” You respond, your heart beating so loud you were sure he could hear it. 

“Really?” Remus asked. 

“Yeah dummy, but only if we get to act like stupid teenagers.” You giggled and the boy felt his heart soar. 

“Of course.” He answered feeling a heavy weight lift from his chest. “By the way you look really cute in my hoodie.” 

You blushed eyes growing a bit wide. “I’m so sorry I had no idea it was yours, I was just really cold because of this stupid dress and it was just sitting there and-” 

“It’s fine.” Remus laughed, “It looks better on you anyway.” 

Taglist:

@evyiione

@accio-rogers

@roslea

@k3nz-doodl3

@theseuscmander

[sageblogsthings]

to celebrate The Crimson Moon reaching 30k as of this morning, i thought that i would share the progression of the opening lines of the book, and talk a bit about how the book has grown and changed in the last year! on july 27th it will be exactly a year since i first started writing this and wow i’m not getting emotional you are aha whaaaat

*cough* anywayyysss!!

draft one: please oh god don't judge me

ok i'm not going to talk negatively about my past writing because it got me to where i am today but. [marge i am looking away meme] if you can't tell, i wrote this when i was going through the existential crisis phase of uni and just wanted to live in the woods, i say like i would not currently move to the woods in a heartbeat asdklfja

at the time that i wrote this i was really happy with it because the writing was fun and, as a result, easy! at this point i was just writing in my down time from uni, and i didn't know what the plot was or what my plans were for the book as a whole. because this was just something i did in my down time, i think my writing took on more of a conversational, stream-of-consciousness tone, and that's part of what made this draft (or start of a draft, i only got like 12k in i think) so easy to write. but eventually, as the plot started to come together and i started to gain more inspiration from sff writers as a whole, i realized that this book wasn't heading in the direction i wanted it to. it wasn't just something to do in my free time at that point, it had taken on a life of it's own. and thus, draft two began.

draft two: electric boogaloo

ngl these lines still slap and i love them. there are definitely things i would change, but these lines will be in the current draft of the book, albeit not in the first chapter and altered slightly. when i started this draft, i didn't have an outline but i had a very clear, cinematic image of how i wanted this chapter to go. i think having that before i started writing helped a looooot, both in terms of prose and just being able to convey aspects of the setting/character in the first paragraph. as i continued writing this draft though, i realized that some of the character arcs didn't make sense or were getting a bit messy, and that, based on the story i wanted to tell, it didn't make sense to start with Xalia. while there are six main pov characters in this book, Vanna really is the main character and i wanted that to be clear.

draft three: this time it's personal actually good

these are the current first lines of the book, and honestly my favorite so far! starting off with Vanna rather than Xalia definitely gives the book a different feel, and it's one that's more true to the vision i have for it. in my opinion, this opening does a much better job of setting up some of the book's themes, which admittedly i'm still figuring out lol. grief and loss are major components of all the character arcs, and are integral to the plot itself. switching to present tense has also been a LIFE CHANGER for me. it's funny because, on the second stab at this book, i kept slipping into present tense, but forcing myself back to past tense because i thought present tense sounded weird. turns out it only sounded weird because it was surrounded by past tense, and now that i've written 3 chapters in present tense i can solidly say that this is the way the book was meant to be written. it just feels like my book now, and i'm so happy with where it's headed!

i also made an outline for this draft of the book, and while i've already deviated from it somewhat to work out plot holes or increase ~foreshadowing~ in certain scenes, getting all of the events out of my head and onto paper has really allowed me to just write because i know that i have a document to refer back to if i get stuck on where the story is headed. making the outline also really pushed me to think about character backstories, most of which i had previously established, but now they've changed a lot to fit together more cohesively and integrate with the plot more clearly. i've also changed a lot of the character designs, and as a result of changing the appearances and backstories of a lot of the characters, i feel a lot closer to them and the story itself. the characters have well and truly taken on a life of their own, and now i'm kind of just along for the ride, telling their stories and loving every second of it!

ALSO!! the last big change with this draft, which i just implemented literally this morning and am so so sooooo excited about, is having first person referral, present tense mini-chapters/interludes! it gives the book a really unique sound and ties into the plot really nicely i think! i feel like the structure and form of the story are finally tying into the story itself and it's driving me insane a little bit askdfjka

as of right now i'm not ready to reveal who the pov and referral characters are in these chapters, because i'm debating between a couple ways of doing things and if i go one way that would end up being a pretty big spoiler! that being said, i got really hyped up about it earlier today and rambled in the spoilers section of my server so if you do want that sweet sweet spoilers content....join my server! ;)

also. i hope u all know that i almost deleted that first snippet about ten different times but transparency in writing and all that, i really do want to show how much this book has grown and changed! even if it's going to cause me immense psychic damage to type up the image description for this but i digress

i think that's all for now, and thank you so so much if you read all of that! the love and support this project has received and continues to receive absolutely blow me away, and i can't thank you enough for being part of the journey! <3

the crimson moon taglist (ask to be +/-)

@dallonswords | @isherwoodj | @florraisons | @aetherwrites | @childhoodlovers | @bijouxs | @ziyin | @moonhungers | @piyawrites | @avi-why | @svpphicwrites | @alicewestwater | @ladywithalamp | @spencers-tomes | @discreet-writer | @sunwornpages | @abalonetea | @the-bard-writes | @x-writes | @morganwriteblr​ ​| @aphaimaniis | @stephwriteswords | @ninazeniks ​| @araliensmagica | @fuyugomori | @ryns-ramblings | @greyjaywrites | @marimos

image descriptions below the cut

[header image description]

the background is a dark castle with a checkerboard-patterned marble floor. the hallway fades into black, with the hint of a figure standing in the doorway. white text across the image reads "The Crimson Moon" in a large, all-caps font, and below that reads "wip update post" in thin, lowercase text.

[image description for excerpt one]

I lay on my back, gazing up at the sky. The weather was absolutely perfect. I could hear the crickets singing, the birds chirping, the brook babbling, all that good poetic shit.

I came out here often, just to get away and pretend like I wasn't a part of the fuck-all society I lived in. How could humans be so ignorant? We live in a world with this, I gestured expansively in my mind at the field around me, how can we not see how beautiful it is? How perfect it is? How imperfect we are by comparison?

[image description for excerpt two]

Xalia strode down the marble halls, the soft leather of her shoes meeting each tile with a cacophony of echoes. This was not the first, second, hundredth time that she had walked these passageways, and yet the chill she felt when contained within their depths never seemed to subside. The looming corridors and billowing curtains always seemed to hide sinister whispers that breathed down her neck and pricked at the tips of her ears. Perhaps it was the High Council, with their unnerving masks and owlish eyes, seeming to know and perceive all — or perhaps it was the knowledge that every time she stalked back towards the exit, she would carry the weight of another’s life on her shoulders, a life that she had to take.

[image description for excerpt three]

Vanna’s mother always tells them that grief is a sharp, biting thing; something that latches its teeth around your stomach until you double over with the weight of it. But for Vanna, that’s not quite right. There isn’t something hidden and tucked away behind the confines of their gut because there isn’t anything there at all. As they walk towards the town well — a spell book in one hand and emptiness in the other — they think that their mother got it wrong trying to describe grief in terms of presence. Grief, to them, can only be absence. The absence of light, the absence of a smile, and the absence of a palm which had curled so perfectly into theirs.

[daisy116]

Wtf is a Selfie??

some dousy fluff/ anst for my favs. it’s been sooo long since i’ve written but i worked really hard on this and i hope y’all like it!

please give it sum love and/ or feedback <3!

The team was getting ready for their goodbye dinner together. Just one last night of dinner and drinks, and then they’d go their different ways. 

Daisy was obviously feeling emotional, and Sousa knew this. He came to check on her in her room. 

He stood outside her door, took a deep breathe, and, in classic Danial Sousa fashion, knocked.

“Come in!”

When he opened the door, her back was to him, and she was struggling with the zipper on her dress. 

“Here. Let me help you with that.” he came to help her. 

“Oh. Thanks Sousa.” Daisy said. She felt her cheeks turn red.

Sousa hadn’t realized how nice she looked. Her blond hair was in loose waves down her back, and when she turned to face him, he saw she was wearing eyeliner and mascara that made her brown eyes pop. Blush tinted her cheeks. 

They locked eyes, and she looked at the floor shyly. 

“Thanks”, she practically whispered. Dammit why couldn’t she just act normal around him. 

There was an awkward silence. Daniel looked around her room as she studied the floor. 

After a moment, he brushed past her to look at the bedside table. 

“Who’s this?” he asked. 

Daisy followed his gaze. Sitting on her bedside table were three different picture frames and a jewelry box. 

The largest picture was a frame hanging on the wall behind the table, the two others sitting in front of it. One was a picture of Daisy and Coulson, beaming at whoever the cameraman (or woman) was. The picture looked fairly recent. 

Sousa had picked up the smaller frame. It was an older picture, evident by Daisy’s brunette and banged hair. The picture was obviously taken by someone else, and Daisy was looking at whoever might be to the left of the camera man. There was a man next to her, who was taller and older, and he was looking right into the camera. they were both wearing the same, almost sad looking smile. This is what first tipped Sousa to who this man might be. She took the frame from his hand. 

“Cal” and after a beat, “my dad”.

Sousa, in all honesty, didn't know what to say. Just a small “Oh.” spilled his mouth.

Daisy had never talked about her dad. She had told Sousa about her mom, Jiaying, but not much outside of the story that she had shared with him about her suffering at the hands of Whitehall.

“He um,” she was obviously trying to find the right words. Did she even want to go down this path with him? 

After a moment of thinking, she said, “he killed my mom… to save me”.

Another “Oh” from Sousa. 

“Daisy, I’m so sor-” 

“No, it's fine. I-” she quickly blinked away tears, “it was a while ago.” there was a beat, and then,

“Plus it was nice to talk to her again. And I wouldn't have without you… you  giving me a little push.” she was smiling fondly now. She put the picture back. 

“About that. I was going to apologize. i feel bad, i could tell it was hard for you and then what happened next-”

“No, no. i-” she turned to smile at him. “I was glad.” she reassured him.  

She hadn't realized how close they were to each other. “Thanks for that”, she said in a whisper. 

Their eyes locked, and she could feel herself blushing under his gaze. Her back ended up against the table, him facing her and the rest of the pictures. He was smiling at her, they were moving closer to each other, Daisy looked down at his lips, and- 

“Is that the rest of the team?” he wasn't looking at her anymore, but in fact the largest picture frame hanging on the wall behind her.

She sighed to herself and closed her eyes.

In it was a picture of the team, Coulson, May, Jemma, Fitz, Yo-yo, Mack, a taller woman, and another man were all beaming at the camera. Again, Sousa could tell the picture was older from Daisy's hair, which was now in a dark bob. She was standing in the middle of everyone, holding the camera.

“Uh yea,” Daisy smiled to herself about how awkward he was. What a dork. 

“That's Bobbi. And that's Hunter.” she said, pointing at the respective characters. 

“They were all part of SHIELD at one point. We were pretty close.” she was smiling fondly now.

She snapped out of her memories that flooded back to her to glance up at Sousa, who, to her surprise, was studying the picture intently. 

She looked at the picture, then back to him, then back to the picture again, trying to figure out what was irking him. 

“Whatt are you looking at?” she said, a teasing tone in her voice. 

“How was this taken? Are you holding the camera? Wouldn’t that be heavy?”

She tried her best to stifle her laugh. She felt bad giggling at him, but she couldn't help it, he was such an old man. 

“Uhh yeah. It's called a selfie. Here, i’ll show you.”

She took her phone out of her back pocket and opened the camera app. She held the phone up and moved closer to him in order to fit them both into the small frame. She blushed as she felt his hand snake around her waist. 

“Smile,” she told him 

With a *click* she had taken the picture. She brought the phone down to inspect the selfie to her liking. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sousa do the same. Again, her face filled with heat as she felt how close he was. His hand was still around her waist.

“We look-,” he hesitated to find the right word, “we look good.” and a pause,

“You look good”.

She blushed. Hard. 

“Thanks”, she said, smiling up at him. Their faces were once again close to each other, and the spot where his hand reached touched a bit of skin on her waist seemed to be on fire. Again, they leaned closer. She wanted to kiss him so bad she could scream-

“Hey guys were about to- ohhh what's going on in here!?” Came a British voice from the door. Simmons. 

Sousa quickly ducked his head to hide his smile. Daisy turned to face her, embarrassment written all over her face. But she was smiling. 

“Yea uhh. We’re about ready.” she said as she busied herself finding her necklace on the table next to the picture she had just put down. 

Simmons backed out of the door to leave, sharing a smile with Sousa. He was also obviously a little embarrassed, but a quick wink from the doctor reassured him. 

He smiled at the floor. He was glad he had found some friends in this weird place. Plus he had met Daisy, which was obviously going well- 

“Do you think you could help me put this on?” Daisy asked him. 

“Course.” he answered. 

Even when their hands touched when slipping the necklace between them Daisy’s stomach flipped flopped. She turned around and moved her long hair out of the way. 

He clasped the necklace around her neck. 

She hurried herself with getting her shoes on, and Sousa struggled to put what he wanted to say to her in words. It took Daisy to get to her second shoe (white nike air forces, very practical) until he spoke. 

“I know you've been hurt and i- i just wanted to let you know that i'm here for you. To talk i mean.” he mustered out. 

She paused, still looking at her shoelace. Shit he thought. He had gone too far. Too fast. Too fast. 

She finally looked up at him. God why was it so hard to read her facial expression. He had overstepped, he felt it- 

She smiled. It was faint. But it was there. She stood and brushed herself off, shoelace forgotten. She paused before starting. 

“Yeah its- its been a hard run these last couple of years. I've lost-” she paused to catch her breath- “I've lost, i don't even know how many people. People I care about. People i- i love.”

He glanced away at this. Mack had mentioned a boyfriend when they were talking about his own ex, Peggy, the other day. Lincoln, he remembered. 

Before he could say anything else, she took a step closer. But instead of leaning in for a kiss, she put her head on his shoulder. A hug. That she desperately needed. 

He hugged her back and closed his eyes. He desperately needed this. They had both gone through a lot, their hearts were worn. But they had each other, and they were grateful. They stood there for a minute, but it felt like seconds until they were interrupted, again.  

A loud pounding came from the door, making them both jump. 

“Come on guys, no funny business. We need to go soon.” it was Mack. 

Daisy rolled her eyes and she pulled away. They both giggled, and she went to her closet for a purse. 

When she had gotten all her things together, she reached for the door handle. 

“Daisy, wait.” Sousa called after her. 

“Yeah?” she turned to smile at him.

“Uhh. your shoes untied” he smiled down at it. 

“Oh! Thanks.” she laughed in embarrassment. 

She swooped down to tie her shoe, and when she straightened up, he was standing closer then he was before.

Without a word, they leaned in to kiss. 

Their lips met softly, and she hardened it by leaning in. 

She got lost in his lips, his touch. She closed her eyes and forgot about the world, the dinner, mack and simm- shit. The dinner. 

She reluctantly pulled away. 

“That was nice,” she said, her eyes still closed, “but we need to go.”

“Right.” 

They walked out of her room, hand in hand. Both with a giddy smile on their faces.

[sillyrabbit81]

Her Heavy Cross

Summary: Three years after tragedy hits, Lana she decides to start dating again. She meets Will through a dating app and they begin an online romance. After months of constant requests, Lana relents and agrees to meet and go on an irl date with Will. But is Will who he says he is? Lana is quickly pulled into an intense relationship forcing her to confront her tragic past. Will Lana face it or will she close her heart forever?

Pairing: OMC x OFC

Word Count: approx 3.8k

Warnings: swearing, angst, mentions of death,

Authors Note: The story started as a Henry Cavill fanfiction but I changed it to be an original character, but shades of Henry are still there. Hope you enjoy the story and thanks for reading.

Part 17 Part 19

Part 18

It was a crazy week, and by Wednesday, I had had enough and wanted it to be all over. It was the last day of school for the term. The kids were rowdy, and it was hard for them to concentrate. I gave up structured lessons after the morning session, and we did Easter craft. Still, even craft was hard for my kids. Most of them can't use scissors without assistance or had to use modified ones set into a wooden block. It wasn't a bludge, but it was much less stressful for both the kids and myself.

I had playground duty at lunchtime. Some of the older mainstream kids had heard about Liam, and a few would walk past me and sing the theme song to his superhero movies. Others would have a conversation with me and sneak in a movie quote. Lucky for me, most of Liam's films weren't appropriate for children, so there were only a few they could use. The kids would run away giggling, and I would shake my head. I wasn't upset by it, kids are kids, and at least they made their fun to my face.

The parents were awful. The mums would go quiet when I was near them, and I would hear laughter or whispering as I walked away. The dads looked at me just that little bit longer, making me feel uncomfortable. I just tried to remember Liam's arms around me, the way he made me feel safe in his arms. I found myself touching my earrings a lot. They soothed me.

The worst part was the other staff. Not all of them, just a couple of the younger ones and newer ones. Their eyes seemed to bore into me in the staff room and in meetings. The ones who had been here when Andy died were good. They appeared to be on the same page as Marla had been. The rest of the support class teachers and TA's were kind. They actually asked me to my face about it, seemed happy for me, and then that was it they moved on.

My boss, Michael, did call me into his office on Monday afternoon. He was good about it mostly, just concerned because apparently, the office staff had received a few phone calls from a couple of media outlets trying to get in contact with me. The staff were good enough to hang up on them. I was honest with Michael and said I didn't know what my plans were, just that we were dating. I did tell him about how it would be official on Thursday, but it worked out well because the office would be empty for two weeks, and by then, I'll be old news.

When I spoke to Liam on the phone, I had told him about how I was feeling. I was honest about it as much as I could be.

Liam was empathetic and seemed sincere when he said I didn't have to go. "If it's too much, we can wait for another time. The dress you have will be as good in a few months as it is now. Or we can return it all and try again later." Cheekily he said, "I'll let you keep the earrings."

I declined. I wanted to get it over with. I figured the quicker it was done, the quicker no one would care, and I can go back into hiding. It was like ripping off a band-aid. Just do it.

When I had gotten home from work on Tuesday, I had decided to do the hardest thing of all. I called Andy's mother.

Anthea was born in Greece and immigrated to Australia with her family in her early teens. She had met Andy's dad, Tim, a white Australian with Irish heritage, and they had a beautiful marriage. They had five children, three boys and two girls. Andy was the youngest son and was the unofficial favourite. She had always been lovely to me. She always called me Little Lana and would always hug me and insist I ate. On my birthday, she would make me galaktoboureko. She still calls me for my birthday and invites me over for Orthodox Easter and Christmas. I don't go, but I always make sure to call and send presents for my two godchildren.

"My Little Lana," Anthea gushed. "It is so good to hear from you. How are you going? Tim, Lana is on the phone! He will be so happy you called. Yes, Timothy, it's Lana. Yes, Tim says g'day. How are you? We miss you. How is work? How are your precious children? You do such good work, Little Lana."

Did I mention she talks a lot? She was one of those people who seemed to speak without having to take a breath.

"Hi Anthea, I'm doing well. Work is great, really good. I have a great bunch this year."

"Yes, you sound happy, Little Lana. Your new boyfriend must have something to do with it? He is very handsome. Not as handsome as Kamari mou but handsome. I showed all my friends, and they tell me you are still so beautiful and your hair is still so pretty and long. So long now. You've grown it."

I was stunned. I tried to talk, but the lump in my throat was so big, I couldn't swallow. I tried to say something, but all that came out was a huge sob, and I broke down.

"I'm sorry, Anthea, I am so sorry."

"Why are you crying? Stop it. Alana, why would I be upset? Why are you crying? Don't cry, silly girl. You should be happy. I do not expect you to be wearing black, like an old lady from my old country, for the rest of your life. I know you loved my son. but you're too young to grieve forever."

"I wanted to call you and tell you, but it happened so fast." I was still crying, but it wasn't so bad now. Anthea had comforted me in a way that I hadn't even known I needed. That she still loved me when I had started dating another man was incredible to me.

"You shhh, Little Lana. Listen to me. You have obviously called me for permission whether you know that's what you were doing or not. You have it, my blessing. Kamari mou wanted you to be happy also. He would not want you to be alone forever. You know this. Go speak to him, speak to Andy, and you will know."

"Thank you, Anthea."

"There now, Little Lana, you will be ok. Now no more speaking of sadness. I must tell you all the wonderful news. You will be an Aunty again soon."

Anthea talked to me for a little over an hour. Talking to Anthea was being talked at, but I needed it. I promised to call her again soon. She, of course, invited me to Easter but didn't expect a reply.

I felt lighter after talking to her. She was right. I had needed to know from her that she was ok with it. I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't been. I don't think I would have ended it with Liam. I think I was in too deep, but it would have been much harder to go on.

Anthea was right about something else too. I needed to talk to Andy.

So after school on Wednesday, I drove to the cemetery. I went and saw my Dad first. I didn't have much to say to him. I just sat there and let the memories come to me.

I remembered when I was six, and he shaved his moustache off, and I hadn't recognised him. I had run screaming to my Mum that there was a stranger in the house. I remembered how he would take us to see the fireworks on New Year's Eve, getting there early to get good spots and watch in awe as the fireworks exploded over Sydney Harbour. Nothing was as breathtaking as my home city on New Year's Eve. I thought about how he loved David Bowie, and he had even convinced my mother to name my brother after him. Dave and I had taken Dad to see David Bowie a few years before he passed away, and it was one of the most incredible nights of my life. The Labyrinth is still my favourite kid's movie, and Jareth was my first crush. He looked so good in those tights.

I went to see Andy. I don't see him very often. I go on Boxing Day, his birthday and our anniversary. As had become my ritual on those visits, I had his old phone and listened to his playlist. I laid down on the grass next to him and looked up at the sky. After a while, I started talking.

"Hey Butthead," I started, smiling as I said our private nickname. "I've got some things to tell you. First of all, I miss you. But surely you know that. And I know you know I will always love you. You were such a beacon in my life. A light for me when everything else was dark. I was like a moth to your flame. You drew me in, making me want to be close to you. You always made me feel like everything would be ok if I just stayed in your light. Things were so dark when you were taken from me. For so long, I felt nothing. Everything was dark.

"But then I started feeling better. I still missed you every day, but I wanted to find that again. Feel that love and safety again. I started dating about six months ago. Online mostly, you know, how the kids do it these days. I went on a few dates but felt nothing. Or if I did feel something, I felt like they weren't as good as you. Why would I settle for anyone who wasn't as good as you?

"I don't mean the same as you. I mean someone who moves me the way you did. Someone who showed me kindness like you did, someone who made me laugh, made me feel giddy. Someone I was attracted to. But also someone I wanted to do things for, someone who I wanted to go out of my way for, not because they forced me, but because I wanted to because I knew they would do it for me.

"I was about to give up. I only tried dating for a few months, but it felt so futile that I didn't care anymore. Then this guy started messaging me. He was sweet and funny, a Pom, but don't hold that against him. Anyway, I liked him instantly. It scared the shit out of me. I made him wait three months before I agreed to meet him. I was so scared because I knew I could fall for him.

"And when I met him, the sparks were there. It was instant. He was all the things I wanted. He's not like you. You're both very different. I mean, he doesn't like Mad Max for God's sake. But he makes me feel the way you made me feel. And Andy, I am falling for him."

*********************

"Lana, hold still." Jen was pulling my hair. I looked over at Riza, who was covering her mouth with a magazine. Her shaking shoulders gave her away, though, and I could see she was laughing her arse off. "I only have a couple more to do, and then you can go home and sleep."

I was at Riza's place. I had to see Jen after I spoke to Andy. Jen wanted to put my hair in pin curls. She had washed my hair and then got started pinning small sections of my already curly hair into curls.

I thought it was weird, but she said the hair has to be curled in the right direction for the style to work. She also said that the longer the curls were in, the better the result. That's why I was at her place, getting my hair done 24 hours before the event. How do celebrities live like this?

"How the hell am I going to sleep in this?" Riza's dropped all pretence and was laughing openly at me now. "Get bent, Riza."

"Hey! You're the one who looks like a 1950's housewife right now."

"1940's babe," Jen admonished. "Get it right."

When she finished, she wrapped my hair in a silk scarf. "Did you buy me an apron to go with the barefoot in the kitchen look?" I asked.

Jen laughed. She knew me well enough to know it was a joke. "Trust me. You're gonna love it."

"So when do I take the clips out?" I asked Jen.

"Not until I do your hair."

My eyes bulged. "I'm going to Liam's place hours before you're going to get there."

Riza pissed herself laughing, and Jen just said, "trust me."

When I got in bed, I rang Liam. I Facetimed him. Maybe if he laughs at me now, he won't laugh at me when I'm there, which would break my heart. His reaction surprised me.

"Why are you wearing a scarf? Please tell me you didn't dye your hair." He looked devastated.

"And what if I did?" I asked.

"You would still be you. It wouldn't change anything." He sputtered.

"Nice save," I laughed.

"I think being a redhead suits you. It makes you a little different."

I told Liam it was to protect the pin curls so they don't frizz. "You don't have to worry about me dying my hair until I start going white. I've never died my hair. It's my natural colour."

Liam's lip twitched. "I've noticed." He said.

I could have died.

On Thursday morning, I skipped the gym for obvious reasons, showered carefully so as not to wet my hair and started to get ready. I packed my bag and packed a bag for Perrin with his bed, crate, and food. I did a quick run through the shops to the dressmaker to pick the dress up from the dressmaker and to buy underwear for the dress. I didn't need a bra, but I wasn't going without underpants.

In the morning, I pottered, waiting for lunchtime to arrive and for Liam to finish his half-day at work. I was so jittery I had dropped my coffee this morning, and the mug had smashed. Not having anything to do and waiting for hours made it all worse. I had to do something, so I painted my nails and watched Kill Bill Vol. 1.

The story took me over, and soon I was transported with the action and exceptional dialogue. I decided the only person who could convince me to be an actor would be Quentin. I even went and got out my "Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino" hoodie for added comfort. When it was over, I did feel a little better and whistling the song from the movie, I got Perrin and went to Liam's.

By the time I got to Liam's house, the nerves had come back. I found it hard to concentrate and almost just walked Perrin into the backyard. I sighed and put Perrin on his leash and texted Liam that I was here, and walked to the park with Perrin. We had planned a way to introduce the dogs during the week. The snag was I had agreed to it before I knew about the hair situation. But I found an old bucket hat of Andy's that fit and hid most of my head. I still felt ridiculous, but at least the hat somewhat normal.

When I saw Liam, my heart leapt. I wanted to run to him, have him hold me, soothe away all the pain of the last week and fear of tonight. But we had to introduce the dogs first.

We walked to each other as Perrin and Cole had a little sniff of each other. There was no immediate dislike.

"Hello, Sweetheart." His voice took my breath away.

"Hi," I said.

"Cute hat."

"Arse." I was smiling, though.

"I've missed you," he smiled broadly.

I gave him a small smile.

Liam farrowed his eyebrows. "These two look like they are ok," he said. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"

I nodded, and Liam leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before we started to walk. We went side by side, keeping the dogs apart. Liam put his arm around my shoulder.

"You're very quiet this afternoon," he said after a few minutes.

"I'm nervous."

"About the dogs or tonight?" He asked. "Or something else?"

"Tonight." I felt like a petulant child with all these short remarks, but I couldn't give him anymore just yet. I let my head rest on his shoulder to try to let him know he wasn't the reason I was acting distant.

Liam squeezed me. "You'll be ok. You're going to be dressed beautifully and appropriately. No one is going to laugh at you. You'll see. Myra and Boyd are all excited to meet you. This is Myra's boyfriends first red carpet, too, so you won't be the only virgin." He paused and chuckled. "Although, I had better keep you two apart. He's a sparky? I think that's the word. I don't want him stealing you away from me. I know how much you love tradies."

I laughed. Liam had said all the right things in a few moments, and I felt calm again. At least calm enough that I can have a conversation. "Thanks, Liam," I said and kissed his cheek.

We walked for about half an hour. The dogs walked together for a bit. Perrin, being so old, was pretty laid back about the whole thing and Cole, while curious, just seemed happy to be making a new friend.

When we got back to Liam's house, we let them leashes off, and Perrin had a sniff around the yard. Cole either followed behind him or bounced around in front of him as if he were saying, "come look at this place over here."

While Perrin explored, Liam stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes a moment, listening to the sounds of the city.

"You're such a good hugger," I told Liam as I turned around in his arms and put my arms around his neck. I buried my face into his shirt, seeking his warmth and familiar scent.

"A compliment. From you? With no sarcasm?" Liam teased. "It must be my lucky day."

"Just shut up and kiss me," I said, and I lifted my head to meet his. Our kisses were soft at first, but they became more than that very quickly.

Liam pulled away and said, "we aren't alone. Ryan is here." Liam suggested that Ryan stay with the dogs while we were out. He would be back on Sunday and Monday, too, to take Cole for a walk and play.

I sighed. "Riza will be here soon anyway. We better get these guys inside and settled."

We took the dogs inside and got them set up. Then and I met Ryan, who was working in Liam's study. I don't know what I expected from Ryan, but a Scottish Hercules was not it. He was at least as large as Liam, had dark hair and green eyes and although he paled in comparison to Liam, he was handsome and instantly likeable.

We shook hands, and he said, "it's nice to meet you, Lana. I've heard a lot about you, so it's nice to put a face to the name." His accent was noticeable but not thick, and he spoke with a confident calmness that must be essential in his job. He doesn't mention or look at my scarf, which is a relief. I smiled and said, "Same. I keep hearing all these names, so it's nice to meet finally."

Liam gets me to put Ryans number in my phone. He said I should call Ryan if I need to contact him if he's not reachable while filming. I look at Ryan, and he nods as he says, "it's my job."

I do it, but I roll my eyes. He's not my assistant.

We let Ryan get back to work, and we go out to my car to bring my stuff in. By the time I've set up Perrin's things and sorted out my put my bags away, Riza and Jen arrive.

Liam opened the door for them, and Riza stood stunned for a moment. "Damn, you're built like a brick shithouse." Riza was very petite, half a head shorter than me, so you'd think she'd be used to everyone being bigger than her.

Liam, bless his cotton socks, laughed and put his hand out. "You must be Riza."

Riza took his hand, "yeah, mate, how's it going?" Liam stood aside to let her come in. She was hauling a massive makeup case, and Liam offered to take it for her. I thought she would bristle at his offer, but instead, she just gave it to him.

I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head, indicating my surprise. She just shrugged and gave me a strange look, and looked straight back at him. Riza is a pocket rocket type and prefers to be seen as one of the boys a lot of times. Andy even invited her to his bucks weekend despite her being my maid of honour, so the whole interaction was unusual.

Jen came in and introduced herself to Liam, and it was a much more civilised exchange than Riza's.

I gave them both hugs and kisses on the cheek. "Thanks for doing this, Jen and you too, Riza."

"No worries," Riza said.

Liam offered them both some wine and looked at me to see if I wanted one. I agreed, and we all sat in the lounge room.

Riza grabbed my hand when Liam had his back turned, "Sorry Lans, I think I got star struck. I'm a fucking dickhead."

Jen and I laughed at her, and I said, "serves you right for taking the piss out of me last night."

Liam came back with glasses and a bottle of white wine and poured us all a drink before taking a seat next to me. He sat next to me, resting his arm on the lounge behind me and put his ankle on his knee. His foot bounced, and I looked at him, and it struck me that he was anxious.

I put my hand on his foot to soothe him and turned to Riza and said, "did I tell you that Liam planned a trip to Mt Hotham this winter? I think it was June? Queens Birthday weekend? Before your Mum comes. Anyway, Riza, you spent a few winters there. Got any ideas for some good runs?"

That was it, the two of them talked about skiing, and the tension in the air lifted. I even swapped seats with Riza and sat with Jen for a bit. Once I could tell Liam and Riza were comfortable with each other, I asked Liam where Jen could set up.

Liam said to go to the master on the third, and he went to get up to take us there. I told him Jen, and I could be fine, and he smiled at me and kept talking to Riza. Jen and I smiled at each other and went up to get ready.

Part 19

[goldenmazzello]

Lay all your love on me | Part 2

(I don't own this gif. Credits to the owner)

Warning: Alcohol, anxiety, angst, hungover, languague, mixed feelings, flashbacks. 

W/C: 5k.

Masterlist

~

Although you were all exhausted from your last day on set, you were going out and have some fun and celebrate. You needed this. You all needed this. So when Ben suggested to go to a new bar for some drinks all of you enthusiastically agreed, especially because you, Joe and Rami were coming back to the US tomorrow.

Now, you were at your hotel room getting ready for your last night in London. You chose a little black dress with embroidery black sequins all over it, it also had a nice cleavage that left nothing to the imagination. That was your favorite dress, you felt absolutely confident when you wore it. You put on a pair of black high heels, you were almost ready.

Suddenly, you heard a knock from the door and gave a glance to the clock that was hang on the wall. Fuck. You were late and you hadn't done your make-up yet. You weren't used to wearing a lot of make-up, you prefered having a good skincare routine but since you've had eye bags from the exhausting week on set and your skin wasn't helping due to your PMS pimples, you decided to slightly cover them.

You opened the door and Joe was standing there, wearing a white dress shirt, a pair of black jeans, a leather jacket and a pair of black boots. He looked stunning.

"Wow, you look..." You both said at the same time and laughed. You moved your sight to the floor with blushy cheeks.

"Are you ready?" Joe asked while studying you with a curious expression from the door frame.

"Hmm...do we have time?" You played with your hands, nervously. "I mean, I've haven't done my make-up yet, but I promise it won't take more than 5 minutes. Please Joey." You looked at him with puppy eyes, trying to convince him. He chuckled.

Joey. You were the only person who called him like that. You thought that maybe his mother called him like this but no, you were the only one and Joe found it pleasant. He got annoyed when someone who wasn't you used that nickname.

"Okay, you are already pretty but anyway, you can do it, we have like 10 minutes." He checked his watch as he entered the room and sat on your bed.

"Thank you!" You hugged him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. He could feel your scent. His heart began to beat hard like a hammer. He swallowed.

You grabbed your makeup bag which was a few inches away from the bed on a table and started to apply your red lipstick quickly. Joe was following every movement. You bent over the table to have a better look of your face in your little mirror to apply concealer and Joe couldn't help but fixate his eyes on your thighs and then, your ass. it wasn't the first time he did it, but that little dress allowed him to have a perfect view of your long legs and he couldn’t resist. 

"I'm ready!" You turned around and faced him, he was silent and pretended to look at the window. "You okay?" You walked towards him and grabbed his hand.

"Y-yes, I was just...thinking about our flight" He lied. You rubbed his hand gently and sat by his side. You'll be the death of him.

"Sure? You look...tense" You said worried.

He nodded. "I'm tired but I not going to stay in bed in our last night in London." He tittered.

"Okay, let's get going!"

~

The bar was overcrowded, something to expect for a bar that opened two weeks ago. There were some tables and chairs lined up against the walls and others were just packed into the middle of the room. It was kinda dark, since the lights were red colored, but it was perfect, you still could see people’s faces. Music from the 70s, 80s and 90s was playing at the background.

As you sat at the table, you could notice that it was full of bottles that Ben and Gwilym had brought, since they were the first of the group to arrive.

“Well, you really want us to celebrate tonight Ben.” You raised an eyebrow while looking at them. Ben giggled. 

“Of course!” He said as he grabbed a glass and poured champagne on it. “Where are Rami and Lucy?” 

“Here!” They shouted from the door and walked towards the table. “What the hell...we’re only six in here. why is the the perfect amount of alcohol for the entire bar?” Lucy asked, blinking. 

“Your blonde friend wants us to be shit-faced.” Replied Gwylim and took a sip of wine. Ben shrugged. 

You raised your drinks and Ben began talking "Cheers for this movie and everything that will come with this!"

"Cheers for us guys!" Rami shouted.

Bohemian Rhapsody was a very promising movie. It was one of the most anticipating of the year worldwide, so maybe it will lead to awards nominations such as the Oscars and it also will give all of you more recognition. The best was yet to come.

An hour later, you’ve already drunk half of what was on the table. it was going to be a long night.

There was a tall blonde girl leaned on the bar counter, who was gazing at your table. She was having a drink with a straw that made her lips look big. Maybe, she was doing it on purpose.

“Hey, that girl is trying to get your attention.” Ben elbowed Joe and he looked at her. 

Your eyes rapidly moved to Joe, waiting for his next move. 

“Go and have fun.” Gwylim blinked. 

“I don’t know, I don’t think she’s looking for me.” Joe commented.

Joe wasn’t interested at all, especially since you were on his thoughts all day. But maybe, if he tried to talk to other women he could keep his mind occupied for a bit. Whatsmore, he has been in a forced celibacy for the past months due to filming so it could be an opportunity.

"Are you kidding me? Joe, she's been staring at you for like the last five minutes." Gwilym said. "Go and invite her a drink, do something!"

Joe hesitated for a minute until he put his phone in his pocket and went with her.

You didn't know why, but something made you feel sick to your stomach. Why were you feeling like this for Joe? He was your friend and you should be happy for him. Did you...like him? It wasn't a secret that he was very attractive, but you never thought about him as your lover.

Your not-so-sober state was making you feel so nauseous. You were also tired from your last days of work which were stressing and hadn't been eating properly because you were busy. This wasn’t going to end well. 

You stopped drinking and sighed. There was a growing unease running through your veins, you couldn't take it anymore. You rushed to the bathroom. Fortunately, you were the only one in there. You locked yourself in an individual loo and pressed your forehead against the door, breathless. You closed your eyes and tried to catch your breath, but you felt as if the sharp point of a knife was stabbing you in the chest. The feeling of your heavy pounding heart and a persistent tightness in your shoulders were taking over you. You began to count, one, two, three, four to remove the explosion in your brain that was sending your thoughts spiraling out of control. You couldn't put into words the way you were feeling.

A few minutes later, your breath was becoming normal. You stayed there, trying to recover.

You thought it wasn't going to happen anymore, or at least tonight.

On the other side of the bar, Ben noticed that you were gone. He looked for you desperately, but he couldn't find you anywhere.

He immediately went to the bar counter where Gwilym was standing there, laughing out loud, he has just moved his hand on Joe's head and disheveled him, showing off his perm. Joe wasn't happy at all but the girl just laughed and continued talking.

"Guys, I can't find (y/n) anywhere." Ben explained.

Joe's eyes widened. he apologized with the girl and looked for you. Gwilym followed him.

"Why don't we tell Lucy to go and see if she's in the bathroom? She might be there."

"It's a good idea but, where is Lucy?" Joe moved to the crowd where Rami and Lucy were rocking their bodies to some 80s love songs.

Joe explained her what happened and she went to the bathroom. Rami helped the boys.

What if someone hurt you? what if you were in danger and you couldn't ask for help? Joe couldn't stop thinking about the worst case scenario. He felt a twinge in his chest.

As Lucy entered the bathroom, she looked under each door and felt relaxed when she saw your black high heels there.

"(y/n)? (y/n), are you okay?" She knocked the door.

She sent a message to your group chat.

Lucy: I found her, she's in the bathroom. Don't worry.

"Yes, absolutely." You opened the door and she almost jumps. Your eyes were red and your mascara was running on your cheeks.

"What happened? Did someone do anything to you?" She hugged you tight and you hugged she back even thighter.

"No, no. I'm just...I don't know, I was feeling anxious but I think I'm better now." You moved to the mirror and opened the tap water. You washed your face.

"Was it for anything in particular? What were you doing when you started feeling like that?"

You explained the situation and she hugged you again. “I’m here for you, don’t worry.” She said sweetily. You smiled. 

You came back and the guys sighed in relief.

"She's okay, don't bother her." Lucy warned them. Joe sat beside you and put his hand on your shoulder.

"Do you need anything?" Rami asked.

"Give me that." You snatched the wine bottle off his hands.

The blonde girl showed up again. She whispered something on Joe's ear and gave him a piece of paper. Then, she blinked at him and left the bar.

"Man, what's on the paper?" Ben was dying to know about it. Joe gave it to Rami. Ben stucked out his tongue.

Rami opened it. "Ohh, what a heartbreaker you are, Mr. Mazzello." He gave it back to him. Joe held it in his hands as he read.

"I really liked your perm. If you fancy doing something after the bar, let me know 64788433"

Joe tore the paper and took a sip of wine. Ben, Rami and Gwilym's jaw dropped. You felt relieved. "What?"

"I can't believe you're wasting such an opportunity!" Ben said with a wide eyed face.

"She's not my type." He continued drinking.

He didn't feel like leaving you. He felt alarmed by your state, you were his friend and he wan’t going to leave you when you were feeling like that.  Although he didn't know what happened to you, he could notice you were tense. He would do anything to make you feel better.

"Dude, you're mad. It's your last night here." Rami insisted. Joe didn't care.

"And, what about you? Did you find anyone for tonight" Gwilym asked you, mischivously.

You almost choke. "W-What?"

"You know, a one-night stand.” He moved up his eyebrows. You giggled.

"I'm not much into that, I'm more classic, you know." You confessed.

"Come here, I'm gonna find you a hot date!" Lucy begged you.

"It's okay Lu, I wanna be on my own tonight." You smiled gently.

~

It was 2 a.m, you were all a mess and there were like 3 more hours ahead. Oh shit.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to our place tonight.” Yelled a man from the little scenario, holding a microphone. ”It’s 2 a.m and that means, It’s karaoke time!” He raised his arms and people clapped excitedly. “We invite you to come here with a partner and give us a performance! Who will be our first duo tonight?” 

“Here! These pretty girls right here are going to sing first.” Ben jumped from his chair and pointed at you and Lucy, who gaped at you. 

“Oh no, shut up Benjamin!” You tried to sat him back to his place but it was impossible. 

“Come on girls, let’s go!" The man encourage both of you. Everybody turned their heads to your table. You swallowed.

"Are you sure?" You asked Lucy and she shrugged.

"I guess we have to do it, we have no choice." She said in a small panicky voice as the whole bar was waiting for you to go.

"Fuck, then let's do it."

You rapidly took two more shots of vodka so as not to be so conscious of what you were going to do and walked towards the scenario with her. As you got out of your chair, Joe followed your body with his eyes. He swore no one ever looked so good in a dress and it hurt him to know he couldn't have you that night.

Ben took out his phone from his pocket and started to record, maybe it would end up posted on Instagram.

"So, to who do we owe the pleasure tonight?" The man handed Lucy and you microphones.

"I'm Lucy and she's my friend (y/n)." Everybody clapped and there were some whistling. For a second, you regretted wearing that dress.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Lucy and (y/n)!" He yelled, leaving the scenario.

You both moved to the little screen you had in front of you. Lucy chose Wannabe by the Spice Girls.

You took a deep breath and started singing. "Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want." You moved your head to Lucy's direction.

"So tell me what you want, what you really, really want." She sang and held your hand. You both started moving your hips from side to side following the rhythm of the music, trying to remember some moves from the music video.

The boys were singing and clapping from the table, totally enjoying it. You started to feel more comfortable and to enjoy it too.

"If you wanna be my lover." You both sang the last line of the song and hugged. You quickly came back with the boys while you heard clapping again.

"You girls nailed it!" Rami gave Lucy a quick peck.

"I still hate you, Ben. You better be careful, I'll kill you." You blustered annoyed. He mocked you. 

"Please tell me you're going to sing with me!" Joe put his best puppy face that made it hard to deny anything.

"Yeah Joe, when pigs fly!"

Two hours later, you and Joe were on the scenario, you were totally sloshed.

"Purple rain, purple rain. I only wanted to see you underneath the purple rain." You both sang from the top of your lungs. Joe had his arm around your waist and you had yours around his neck, moving backwards and forwards, trying to dance.

"For you Ben, I'll ruin my voice for you!" Joe pointed at Ben, who was trying to hide behind Gwilym.

Joe lost his balanced and fell to the ground, but that didn't stop him for singing. Screaming.

"I only wanted to see you underneath the AHHHHHHHH PURPLE RAIN, PURPLE RAIN, UHHHHHH." He grabbed your leg like a kid.

"Okay Joey, it's enough." You burst out laughing and helped him up.

~

As fast as you opened your eyes, you closed them. A merciless sunbeam was squirting straight in, making the oppressive force in your head go deeper. You turned around and checked your phone, 12:30 p.m, you had to be at the airport in exactly five hours. 

You couldn’t remember neither coming back to the hotel nor falling asleep. As you sat up bed with a rather unpleasant feeling, you felt a shiver down your spine, the room was cold and you were still wearing your black dress. You felt a wave of nausea and ran to the bathroom. You ended up bent over the toilet, puking your guts out. You haven’t been like this in months. The last time you were like this was last year when your ex broke up with you. When you finished puking, you struggled to lift your head up, but the head throbbing was making it impossible. You rested your head in your hands and began to rub your temples, trying to massage away the headache. It was pointless. You felt you were going to die in about five minutes. 

You looked at your face in the mirror, your mascara was running on your cheeks and your red lipstick was smeared, you looked terrible. After cleaning up your face with a damp cloth, you turned on the shower and tossed your dress and your underwear. You felt really gross. The drops of water running down your body felt warm and you enjoyed it. After a long shower, you got changed into your comfiest clothes and finished packing. 

While you were drinking water, your phone buzzed. Joe was calling. 

“Hey, how are you?” Asked Joe with a husky voice. He might have just woken up. 

“I feel like shit, I’m never drinking again.” You protested. Joe laughed. 

That's what everybody says waking up with a terrible hangover and then, they drink again and repeat it over and over again.

“We both know that’s a pretty unconvincing lie.” 

“Well, I’m not drinking any soon. That sounds better?” 

“Absolutely.” You nodded, smiling. “Can you come to my room? I can’t move and I feel I’m about to pass out if I don’t drink water soon. Please, I’m gonna die, don’t let me die!” Joe screamed, being totally dramatic. 

“You aren’t gonna die, Joey. I’m on my way.” You hang and walked towards his room. You knocked the door and Joe cursed, he had to get out of bed. 

“God, I can’t even walk.” Joe said as you entered the room. He jumped back to bed. “Come here.” 

“Are you sure?” You asked, walking on his direction. 

“Of course, come here, I’m gonna die.” Joe pouted. You rolled your eyes and lay in bed. 

You called room service and they brought you bottles of water and some snacks. 

“Joe, you have to take short sips of water.” 

“I’m thirsty.” 

“I know but it would get worse.” You squeezed his bottle and now, his face was wet. You laughed out loud. 

“You’ll regret it.” He left the bottle on the nightstand and started to tickle you. 

“Please, please, please, Joe, stop or I’m gonna throw up the water, please stop” You begged between laughs. Joe stopped and you sighed in relief. 

“Well, I see you aren’t feeling so bad after all.” 

“Kinda, but I wanna stay here until we head to the airport.” He moved close to you. 

“So do I.” You placed his head on your chest and hugged him. Joe felt he was going to die. 

Never had he been this close before. He didn’t want to move because he was practicaly on your boobs. He tried to avoid any dirty thoughts but his view wasn't helping. When he felt your fingers through his hair, he closed his eyes.

Joe wished this was part of his routine. You and him, waking up together on the same bed, him, giving you kisses all over your face and body. He wanted to kiss you so bad. He liked to think that your lips were as soft as a cotton. He hoped someday he’ll find out if he was right.

"You know," said Joe, breaking the silence. "I think you've never told me, but how did you find out about Queen?" Joe questioned.

It was a rainy cold saturday afternoon. Boredom had taken over you, so you decided to sit on your computer while your mom was baking a delicious banana bread while your dad was working on a project for his job, you assumed that he had become a workaholic because no one would ever dedicate so much time to his job on a free day.

"Can you look for a song on YouTube? It's awfully noiseless in here." Your dad said stretching his back, he had been sitting for like 5 hours.

You knew that your dad liked The Rolling Stones so you clicked on Start me Up music video. When it finished, you checked on YouTube's suggestions. Queen - I Want to Break Free. You knew that Queen was a well-known British band but you've never listened to any of their songs.

"Dad, mom, do you like Queen?"

"Yeah, well, I used to listen to them a lot when I was young." Your dad told you.

"One of my favorite songs by Queen used to be I Want to Break Free." Your mom said as he took out the banana bread out of the oven. It smelled amazing.

"That's the one YouTube suggested me."

You watched the music video while eating what your mother have just cooked. What a pretty girl, you thought when a blonde schoolgirl appeared in the kitchen. A few months later, you realized it was actually Roger Taylor.

"I can't believe you thought he was actually a girl." Joe couldn't stop laughing.

"In my defense, some people in the 70s thought he was a woman."

"And then what happened?"

"Then, there wasn't a day in which I didn't listen to Queen, and nowadays it's still that way. I really love them. They helped me through difficult times and they still do.” 

He smiled. “It’s crazy how every person has at least a memory of Queen in their lives. I remember that Bohemian Rhapsody was the first song I downloaded on Napster.” You interrupted him. 

“Which is ilegal.” 

“Shh, don’t tell Brian and Roger.” You giggled. “And then,” he continued. “When I directed Undrafted, I would drive every morning listening to Somebody to Love and it gave me good vibes for the day. It was great” 

You talked for like two hours about Queen. Now, you were on Joe's chest. "What are your plans for the next days?" Joe started to play with your hair.

"I'm staying in New Jersey with my family, you know, it's been a while since I've seen them. And the other week I'm having an audition in New York for a theater play."

"Great, what is its name?"

"It's Romeo and Juliet. A classic. I really hope I'll get this, otherwise I don't know what I'll do." You sighed.

"You'll get the role, don't worry about it, you are wonderful." Joe grabbed your hand and you rubbed his.

"Thank you. And what are you up to this week? Any meeting or something?" You inquired.

"Not yet. I'm going to visit my family and some friends and of course I'll wait for you to free so we can start with our To do list in New York." He smiled sheepishly.

"I can't wait for it!"

"Hmm, I was meaning to ask it earlier but anyway, what happened last night?"

You were frozen. You tried to find the exact words to explain him you were feeling anxious and that you didn't know the reason why. He let you know that you could always count on him.

A few minutes later, Joe fell asleep, he was still holding your hand. You stared at him for like an eternity and thought about how you felt last night. You weren't sure about your feelings as something more than a friend. You loved him with all your heart, he had become someone you really cared for, you were together all the time and you knew that it would still be like that from now.

He had a peaceful look in his face that made your heart melt. You were grateful that you were going to spend a few days in your hometown where you will have enough time to clear your mind.

~

After a week at your parents' home, you came back to your apartment in New York and now, you were getting ready for your audition. You kept reading the script over and over again while you were on your way in the taxi.

While you were waiting in the queue to enter the theater, your phone buzzed. It was a message.

Joe: Good luck sweetie!

You were beaming from ear to ear.

~

Joe finished cooking one of his specialties, meatballs with spaghetti, his favorite food. His friend Aaron was about to come in any minute. It was a long time since they last reunited, especially because they were busy with their acting careers.

The doorbell rang and Joe opened the door of his house. Aaron Tveit was standing there, holding a bottle of wine and some cans of beer happily.

As they ate, they talked about their lasts projects and brought up some memories of Joe's movie, Undrafted, in which they were co-stars. When they were about to finish the delicious supper, the doorbell rang. They looked at each other.

"Is it really the doorbell?" Aaron asked, confused.

"Yes but, that's strange, I'm not expecting anyone."

Joe opened the door and his gaze flickered over your presence. 

“I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow, what a lovely surprise!” His smiled disappeared when he noticed you were weeping. "What's wrong?" 

“Sorry I came out of the blue but I really need you.” When you leaned over the frame of the door trying to enter his house, you saw he had a guest. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know you had people tonight. I can come tomorrow morning." You moved backwards. 

“Don’t leave, (y/n).” He grabbed your arm. “You can join us.” You hesitated, “Please, stay.” 

You entered his house and he took you to the kitchen, not before telling his friend he would be back in a minute. You sat on the counter and he stood in front of you. “Tell me, what happened?” 

“The audition...” You played with the edge of your shirt, avoiding his gaze. “It was awful, they treated me so unkind...and obviously I didn’t get the role.” 

“I’m so sorry, (y/n).” He embraced you in such a tender and warm way that made you feel safe immediately. He rubbed your back and whispered sweet things in your ear, sending shivers down your spine. 

You couldn't lie, in the days you spent away in New Jersey, Joe couldn't leave your mind. He was there, 24/7 and you couldn't stop talking about him to your family. Your mom only needed two hours to say you were having feelings for him, despite your denial. 

“Forget about that.” He took you to the dining room, where his friend was with his phone. As he saw you were coming, he left it on the table and smiled.

"(y/n), he's Aaron. Aaron, she's (y/n)." Joe introduced each other. Aaron was a brown haired man with beautiful blue eyes. He seemed to be in his mid 30s, just like Joe.

You remembered seeing them on tv, he was in Gossip Girl!

"It's nice to meet you, Joe talked about you a lot!" He admitted. Joe blushed and you smiled.

Did he really talk about you with his friends?

Joe insisted on serving you a plate of food and you acepted it. An hour passed, now you felt better, Aaron was so friendly.

“I’m having an audition on friday for a musical, If you like, I’ll give you the script.” Aaron said while you were having a sip of wine. 

“What is it about?” 

“It’s a Broadway musical based on the movie Grease. I think you’ll like it. They are looking for someone to play Sandy Olsson." 

You almost choke. “B-Broadway? Oh God. I don’t know..” 

Broadway. It was a tempting proposal, but you weren’t sure if you were going to be acepted to play a role in a such an incredible musical, especially after your failed audition from today. 

“Hey, why don’t you give it a try?” Suggested Joe. “You have nothing to lose. It’s a big opportunity, you should definitly go.”

“And you still have time to prepare for this.” Aaron unlocked his phone and asked for your number. “I’ve just sent you the script. Don’t worry, I can help you if you want, you can call me at any moment and I’ll try to help you. Tomorrow I’ll send you the adress and everything you need to know. And if you want, I can pick you up and we can go together.” 

“That would be nice, thank you.” You smiled. 

“So, that’s a yes?” Joe asked expectantly. 

“Yes!” 

Joe was absolutely happy for you. However, his mind was being cruel.

“Joey, are you listening to me?” You asked him. He rubbed his eyes. 

“Sorry, I think I’m falling asleep. What were you saying?” 

“Can I stay here tonight?” 

“Sure!” 

He had to do something, too much love will kill him. 

[hargreeveslftv]

The Occult: DOOMSDAY | an umbrella academy series

chapter tweleve (finale) | word count: 4,589

CHAPTER TWELVE | finale  ( song | song to say goodbye - placebo )

"God, why are so many streetlights out?" Klaus asks uncomfortably, as the trio finally slowed their pace once the sound of the helicopters faded away. 

"Vanya kinda just destroyed a whole block. Something probably happened to the power for this section of the grid." Ben rationalised, his hand still held tight by Melanie as they walked towards what glowed as a more well lit area, when a idea sparks in her mind. 

"Oh, hold up." Melanie says, stopping the two men as she jumps, pulling her knees up and stomping her feet down as she lands, the soles of her boots glowing purple and illuminating the darkness like glow sticks. 

It was a while ago, but she knew paying for the light up boots off aliexpress would be a good decision one day.

"I love you so much." Klaus smiles, the light now shining on their path and illuminating the small area around them. 

"Love you too, Kaykay." Melanie smiles, as they start walking again. 

It doesn't take them incredibly long to get to the bowling alley, the sound of pins falling and families cheering as they approached the building with colourful neon out front, the look of the place not changing at all in the last thirteen years since she'd been there last. 

Melanie cringed as she put on the bowling shoes, the cream, red and blue not matching her outfit at all, or supporting her aching feet as her siblings spoke around her. 

"Look, I hate to be the one to say this, but everyone needs to prepare." Luther says gravely, Diego responding defensively in an instant. 

"For what?" 

"To do whatever it takes to stop Vanya." 

Allison immediately hits him with her notepad, Melanie still eyeing him aggressively as she sat beside Five. 

"We may not have a choice, Allison!" 

"Bullshit. There's always options." Diego calls him out, Melanie quickly jumping on his bandwagon. 

"Exactly. Options we wouldn't have to think about if you'd just listened to all of us in the first place." She spits bitterly, enough time passing between the collapse and that moment for her anger to resurface. 

"What kind of options do we have anyway?" Five asks, earning a shrug from Diego as Luther stands. 

"Look, whatever we decide, we need to find Vanya. And fast, she could be anywhere." Luther says. 

"Or… here." Klaus interrupts, shaking the paper in his hands and pointing to an ad as they all gather around him. "Look at this." 

"That's right. Her concert is tonight." Diego remembers, his attention getting pulled away by one of the employees as they approach. 

"Hello," she smiles cheerfully, "I hate to intrude, but my manager says if you're not gonna bowl, you gotta leave." 

Melanie rolls her eyes, Diego turning to them and asking who's turn it is while Luther picks up a ball, sending it over his shoulder and into someone else's lane. 

"That doesn't… ugh, move." Melanie instructs him, him side stepping as she uses her powers to pick up a ball and throw it down their lane, looking to him with a smirk as Allison taps her notepad. 

She's our sister. 

"We're the only ones capable of stopping this. We have a responsibility to dad." Luther comments, earning a groan from Ben. 

"Would you shut up about him for five minutes?" He asks, both Klaus and Melanie raising their eyebrows at his instant reaction, while the others turn to Diego. 

"To Dad? No, I've heard enough about-" 

"He sacrificed everything to bring us back together." Luther cuts him off, Melanie standing and crossing her arms as she looks up to him. 

"Yeah? Well he sacrificed all of us without our permission for us to be together in the first place." 

"I'm with Luther on this one." Five agrees, Melanie throwing her hands up in frustration as she walks a few steps away towards Allison instead. "We can't give her a chance to fight back. There are billions of lives at stake. We're past trying to save just one." 

"Hey uh, you know, guys, maybe I could help." Klaus interjects, looking to Ben hopefully before Luther waves him off. 

"Now is not the time." 

"No, let him finish." Diego defends, before Melanie can even open her mouth to do so. "He saved my life today." 

"Really?" Ben asks, as Klaus stands up, not correcting him once again. 

"Is it true?" Luther asks. 

"Yeah, yeah. I did… take credit for it." He corrects, Melanie sending him a proud smile as he speaks, "In fact the real hero, was Ben." 

Luther looks at Klaus like he's grown two heads, while Diego looks a little less confused, but still not understanding. 

"Today, listen. Today, he punched me in the face. And earlier at the house, he was the one who saved Diego's life, not me. Melanie held on to both of us and dragged us here, too." He explains, but instead of acceptance or even joy, a look of disgust washes over Luther's face. 

"You're unbelievable, Klaus." He says with a shake of his head. 

"You want proof, is that it?" Klaus asks, picking up a bowling ball, "All right. I'll give you proof." 

"Alright, it's showtime, baby." Klaus sniffs, Melanie taking a step away from Ben who gets in position to catch it, and watching as Klaus throws the ball. 

It soars through the air, and keeps soaring through the air, until it lands on the floor, completely phasing through Ben and rolling off behind them. 

"Shit, okay look," Melanie says, turning to everyone, "it's true. I saw the whole thing myself. He's telling the truth." 

"Yeah, well, I don't exactly trust you either." Luther comments, her head snapping to him as his comment processes. 

"Excuse me?" 

"You've been in each others pockets for years. Of course you're going to defend him. And don't bring up the whole witches and energies thing again to try and back him up." 

"The hell are you doing?" Diego asks, his defenses going up in support of Melanie as he looks to Luther. 

Melanie takes a step forward at his words, eyes narrowed and fists clenched as the power within them starts to swirl.

"Until you went all planet of the apes on us, your powers could have been replicated by a quarterback with a bag of steroids and a chip on his shoulder. Don't question my credibility when the same could be asked of you." She replies, him simply scoffing as he looked between her and Klaus. 

"Is there anything that could ever stop you two from wanting to be the center of attention?" 

"You know," Klaus interrupts, "I liked you a lot better before you got laid. Which you were ridiculously high for, and the girl thought you were a furry-" 

"Stop!" Luther yells at him, Klaus rolling his eyes as he scratches his head and looks away. 

Allison, fed up with all of them, grabs her notepad, turning and walking away with Luther quickly chasing after her. 

"God," Five sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I miss Ben. At least he has some sense in this family." 

"I'm honoured." Ben shrugs, crossing his arms as a smile creeps onto his face. 

Melanie sits down where Luther and Allison once sat with a sigh, glancing up to Ben with a raised eyebrow before a woman and her son approached. 

"Excuse me!" She greets happily, "it's my son Kenny's birthday today, and uh, wouldn't your son be happier playing with kids his own age? Assuming it's okay with your two dads." She asks, looking at Klaus and Diego for an answer as Melanie's hand flies to her mouth to muffle her laughter. 

Five looks up at her like he's never been more insulted in his life, sitting forward slightly as he snarls. 

"I would rather chew off my own foot." 

The woman ushers her son away as a clinking noise pulls his attention away, Melanie sitting silently with tears running down her cheeks from muffled laughter, finally fully breaking as she and Diego lock eyes, the look of despair on his face making her burst out laughing. 

"That," Ben sighs, "was golden." 

"If I was going to date a man, you'd be the last man I would date." Diego says in disgust, more at the fact the woman thought his standards were so low than the relationship she was insinuating. 

"You'd be lucky to get me." Klaus replies, picking up a ball and throwing it down the lane. 

Melanie finally sat straight again, sleeves of her shirt wiping her tears away as she watched the ball roll away, noticing Five had walked off down the couple lanes. 

"You're both pretty bad options, let's be real." She comments, both men looking at her with insulted looks on their faces. 

"That's low, even for you." Diego replies, taking his turn and rolling his eyes at her as she shrugs. 

"She isn't wrong." Ben adds, Klaus groaning as he sat down next to Melanie, throwing his arms across the backs of the seats. 

"Enough from you, Squidward."

"How long has it been since we came out bowling?" Melanie asks, changing the subject as she got up, picking up a blue splatter design ball and standing at the top of the lane. 

"I think we were like, god, maybe seventeen?" Klaus wonders aloud, Diego filling in his gaps. 

"The seven of us snuck out under Dad's nose, god knows how we managed it." He smiles, looking to the ground as memories of the night flood back. "We bowled until closing then did everything we could to avoid going home so we didn't have to face the old man's fury." 

"Oh, I remember that night." Melanie says quietly, sparing a glance at Ben before making her shot, the ball knocking down most of the pins but leaving her with a spare. 

And then, only a couple minutes later, Luther and Allison made their return. 

"All right, where's Five?" Luther asks, looking between them. 

"He left." Diego replies simply as Klaus joins them again after his turn. 

"Oh for the love of… where did he go?" 

"Didn't tell us." 

Melanie nods her head towards Luther as Klaus stands in front of her, rolling her eyes as she hands him the popcorn they shared, a small smirk of a smile on his face as Luther starts up again. 

"Well, we're not waiting around for him. The concert starts in thirty minutes." 

"I tell ya, I hate not being at things early. I was three hours early to my Mindless Self Indulgence concert actually-" Melanie remembers fondly, before Diego cuts her off. 

"What's the plan?" 

"Well," Luther starts, "I think that, uh… We go to the Icarus Theater." 

"That's a location, not a plan." Diego deadpans, before a look of disbelief crosses his face, "What, is that all you got?" 

Luther looks around nervously, not confirming or denying it and making Melanie scoff as she walks around him, standing beside Diego who takes a step towards him. 

"Look, you wanna be Number One, fine. But you're gonna have to get us on the same page, because right now, we're all over the place." 

"You're right." Luther agrees, "we need a plan." 

But a plan doesn't get the chance to form, as the attention of the siblings turns to the people coming through the doors, guns raised and uniforms one of the weirdest things Melanie had ever seen. 

In an instant, bullets are flying. The six of them scrambling for cover as the gunfire comes from all directions, Melanie ducking behind a bench with Ben at her side. 

"Who the hell are these guys?!" Diego yells over the deafening noise. 

"Maybe they're here for Kenny's birthday!" Klaus yells back at him. 

"No," Luther yells, "I'm pretty sure they're here for us." 

"What are they, stormtroopers?" Melanie asks, watching as Diego peeks up over the bench, throwing one of his knives and sending one of the goons falling backwards into the sound system, the lights dimming as Bay City Rollers blasts through the bowling alley. 

With the bullets halting for a moment, Melanie spares a glance over the top of the bench, watching as Diego and Luther hurled objects at the dozens of attackers. 

Using her powers, Melanie pulls shoes from the shelf behind the counter, sending it into the heads of the attackers she could see from her position before ducking back into cover again. 

"They're blocking the exits!" Klaus yells, Diego turning to Luther. 

"What's the plan now, Luther?" 

But instead of looking to Luther, everyone else looks to Allison, who is pointing at the bowling lanes. 

"The lanes! Let's go!" Luther calls, before they all make a run for it. 

Melanie pushes up from behind the bench, grabbing Ben's hand and pulling him up as she runs for lane eight, breaking into a sprint as she ran down the slippery wood lane before using her powers to break her fall as she skids head first into the pins. 

Ben is the first to make it through, standing at the end of the lanes and yelling encouragements while watching each of them pass before following Melanie as they all ran out of the building. 

"We're going to the theater, now." Melanie commands, pacing out in front of them as Luther hesitates for a moment, not used to Number Eight being the one making the plans. 

Wordlessly, they all follow her, quick on their feet as they burst through the lobby of the theater, the sound of classical music already filling their ears as they run up the stairs, Allison stopping them before they can run into the concert hall. 

I need to go alone.

Allison writes, holding it up for them to see. 

"Allison, I can let you do that, she is… beyond reason." Luther argues, only for Diego to cut him off. 

"You hear the music? It's started." 

"Do you honestly think she's gonna listen? After everything that's happened?" Luther counters. 

"Why don't we give her the chance to try?" Melanie asks, as Allison stares him down. 

"We don't have time for this." Klaus says as he moves behind them anxiously, shaking his head at their antics. 

"Okay." Luther nods, Allison turning and walking in without them. 

The five of them watch her go, before Diego looks to Luther. 

"You're using her as a distraction, aren't you?" 

"Our best chance to incapacitate Vanya." 

"And what are we gonna do once she wakes up? Cause I don't know if I gotta remind you or not but our house is kinda gone." Melanie speaks, only to be instantly brushed off as Luther moves forward. 

Melanie shakes her head in disgust, the last straw coming and going as she separates herself from the group, hands up in innocence and frustration as she lets the three men follow Allison's path, Melanie's own leading in the opposite direction as she leaned up against the wall instead, sighing as she looked to Ben who sat beside her. 

"I don't think these idiots would have survived if we actually ran away when we were sixteen."

Ben laughs as he looks down, kicking his feet in the air with a shake of his head. 

"To be fair, I think you, me and Five were basically the impulse control of all of us, so once you left, they were pretty much screwed." He says, drawing a less sad sigh from her this time, as she leaned her head against his arm for a moment, before looking up to him. 

"How come I can see you right now?" She asks, him shrugging lightly. 

"I don't know. But I'm not questioning it." 

"Then neither am I." She smiles, before Klaus comes around the corner. 

"The lookout. They should have just said "hey Klaus, go stay out of the way of our macho contest, we'll be done with the ruler soon."" He says bitterly, looking up at Ben and Melanie before gesturing outside. 

"You guys up for burritos?" 

-

"I owe my life to whoever invented food trucks." Melanie sighs, leaning against the side of the truck as she, Ben and Klaus waited for their burritos to be made. 

"Remember when we lived off tacos for like a month cause we were broke and that guy with the truck had a crush on you?" Klaus asks with a laugh, looking to Melanie who let out a laugh herself. 

"That guy was a creep." Ben comments, both of them nodding in agreement. 

"True. He didn't actually have a crush on me, but he did make the eyes at you every time we were there." She smiles, bumping  Klaus who waved her off as the cook in the food truck called for them, Klaus accepting the food with a thank you before handing Melanie hers. 

"I didn't ask for cilantro." He says sadly, Melanie taking the burrito from his hands and replacing it with the one from hers. 

"Don't worry, just a mix up." She says, before taking a large bite and closing her eyes with happiness as she finally got to refuel after all the use of her powers through the day. 

"Do you hear gunfire?" Ben asks, making her eyes snap open as she follows him to stand in front of the truck, Klaus hot on her heels.

But before they can run across the street to the theatre, Klaus is pulling Melanie against the front of the truck, hiding from the person she barely got a glance at before being pulled out of the way. 

"Is that the lady we ran over?" She questions with a whisper yell, taking a bite of her burrito as she tried to peek around the corner. 

"This is it, mofos. Go time! Go time!" Klaus whisper yells back, running out into the street while Melanie and Ben follow him. 

"What about the gunfire?" Ben asks as they all run across the street, Melanie slacking behind a couple steps as she takes another bite of her burrito, running after them as Klaus shouts over his shoulder. 

"Come on man, we're the damn lookouts!" 

Throwing his burrito to the side, Melanie drops hers on the ticket booth counter, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she follows the two as they bust through the doors. 

"Guys, it's Cha-Cha!" Klaus calls out, jumping the stairs as they enter the concert hall, Melanie instantly ducking down between seats as the gunfire from the bowling alley echos around them once again. 

"Get down!" Melanie yells, yanking Klaus by the arm and pulling him down beside her. 

She ducks down, breath coming in ragged bursts as she tries to avoid the bullets flying towards them, before looking up in shock as she watches Klaus's hands start to glow a bright blue neon. 

Before her eyes, she starts to see Ben glowing too, in a different form than the one she saw him in the last couple hours, her hand flying to her mouth in shock as suddenly, The Horror lives again. 

Ben shouts in effort and pain as the tentacles erupt from his body, reaching out and throwing the attackers with ease. 

Blood rains down as they're ripped apart, Melanie barely avoiding the gore as it fell from the sky above her, arms held over her head for safety as the attackers finally realise, they are no match to Ben. 

As all of the attackers lay in various states around the theater, Klaus smiles proudly, Melanie running past him to Ben and wrapping her arms around him tightly. 

"Now who's the lookout?" Klaus says with a laugh. 

Hearing the violin still playing behind them, Ben takes Melanie's hand as she turns, looking up to Vanya on stage. 

As the six of them watch on, Vanya starts to transform, the intense blue glow of her powers so bright they're blinding, all of them barely able to see as the colour bleeds out of her suit, leaving pure bright white in its place. 

The earth shakes beneath them, and Melanie looks to the ceiling with a scared look instantly washing over her as cracks start to appear in the stonework. 

"Oh god, not again." She speaks quietly, her fear robbing her of her voice. 

Melanie, Ben and Klaus move closer to the other four as they huddle together, Diego speaking over the unrelenting music. 

"So, how do you wanna end this thing?" 

"Surround her. All right? We come at her from all angles." Luther yells. 

"So it's a suicide mission." Klaus says gravely, Luther nodding regretfully. 

"Yeah, but one of us could get through. It's the only chance we've got." Five explains, agreeing with Luther's plan. 

"Are we all in?" Luther asks, all of them agreeing, accept for one.

Melanie looks beside her, taking in the faces of the people she loved, for better or worse, before nodding in agreement, her attention pulled away as Allison shakes her head no. 

"Stage left, stage right. You guys take the front." Luther instructs the group, ignoring Allison's protests. 

The group burst into action, Five, Klaus, Melanie and Ben running through the seats and taking position at the end of each row, Diego running up the stairs leading to the backstage area. 

Fear and a sense of finality ran through Melanie's veins as she watched for Luther and Diego, tears burning her eyes as the horror of their situation finally dawned on her in full. 

Realising her voice wouldn't make it across the space that separated them, it escaping her anyway, Melanie looked up to Diego, who glanced at her from the stage. 

"Love you, brother." She signs, too far away to see the tears in his eyes that rise as he takes a ragged breath. 

"Now!" Luther calls, his voice cutting above all of the noise as they all charge ahead, throwing themselves towards Vanya and silently praying that at least one of them would make it. 

But they don't even get close, as Vanya swings her arm out, the blinding white light shocking them all as the air is knocked from their bodies, all of them flying backwards as the wave of massive power throws them back. 

But instead of landing, all of their bodies hover in the air, Melanie crying out in pain as a vein of light connects each of them back to Vanya, the energies within her depleting more and more by the second as Vanya holds them up, draining the life from all of them. 

None of them see Allison, standing behind Vanya with a gun pointed to the back of her head. 

With two swift pulls of the trigger, one each side of her head, Vanya is brought to her knees, the sound breaking her concentration and sending all of them  falling to the ground. 

Melanie lays on her back, gasping for breath as she watches the beam of pure energy leaving Vanya, and hurtling through the ceiling and into the sky above them. 

Allison catches Vanya as she falls backwards, completely knocked out and unconscious, the rest of the siblings scrambling to their feet and running to them. 

"Is she alive?" Luther asks first, as Melanie and the rest of the brothers fall to their knees beside her. 

"Yeah." Allison nods, her voice barely a whisper, but assuring all the same. 

"Oh thank god." Klaus breathes, Diego smiling as he and Melanie looked at each other, and for the first time in a long time, they both had hope. 

"We did it, we saved the world." Luther says in shock. 

But, the happiness isn't allowed to last, as Klaus looks up behind them all. 

"Uh, guys?" He says, getting their attention as he points to the sky. "You see that big moon rock coming towards us?" 

Melanie rises to her feet, standing behind Klaus as tears fall down her face. 

"So much for saving the world." He says grimly, taking the dog tags around his neck in his hands, gripping them tightly. 

"If only Sir Reginald could see us now." Diego mutters. "The umbrella academy. A total failure." 

"At least we're together in the end. As a family." Luther acknowledges. 

Melanie finally let's the sobs dying to escape her body take over, the feeling of Ben's hand on her shoulder and Diego's hand reaching for hers the only thing keeping her upright as she cries. 

"This doesn't have to be the end." Five says determinedly, all of them turning to him as he speaks. 

"What? What are you saying Five?" 

"I think I have a way outta here, but you gotta trust me on this." He says, Melanie instantly stepping forward. 

"Of course we do." She says as she wipes her tears away, but looks around with a angry frown on her face as the three men disagree. 

"Well then we might as well accept our fate, because in less than a minute, we're gonna be vaporized." He argues, Diego the first one to turn back around. 

"What's your idea, then?" 

"We use my ability to time travel. But this time, I'll take you with me." He explains. 

"You can do that?" Diego asks, hope starting to creep back into his voice. 

"I don't know. I've never tried it before." Five admits honestly, the rest of them looking between each other as they contemplated the possibility of making it out. 

"It's worth a shot." Melanie says quietly. 

"What's the worst that can happen?" Diego says, coming around to the idea while Klaus shrugged in a somewhat show of support. 

"You're lookin at it. A fifty-eight year old man inside a child's body, so there's that." 

"Oh, what the hell? I'm in." Diego agrees. 

"Yeah, whatever. I'm in." Klaus adds, Melanie nodding in front of him. 

"So am I." 

"Me too." Luther agrees, looking to the floor where Allison still sat with Vanya in her lap, "Allison?" 

She nods, Luther turning to Melanie and Klaus before speaking again. 

"What about Ben?" 

"Great, yeah, he's in." Klaus speaks for him, a smile working its way on to Melanie's face as she sees Ben smirking behind him. 

"Okay great. Luther, grab Vanya." Five instructs, Luther immediately bending down and picking her up in his arms. 

"Wait, should we be taking her?" He asks, and Melanie reaches out and slaps his arm as he speaks. "I mean, if she's the cause of the apocalypse. Isn't that like taking a bomb with us?" 

"The apocalypse will always happen and Vanya will always be the cause, unless we take her with us and fix her." Five insists. 

"That's good enough for me." Melanie nods, as explosions start ringing out. 

Standing together, the Hargreeves children link hands, Melanie taking a deep breath as she stands between Diego and Klaus, holding onto their hands with as strong a grip as she can. 

They all look up to the sky, watching the shattered pieces of the moon fall closer and closer as the sound of electricity sparks around them, Five straining as he wills all of the power he's ever had to come forward, a portal opening up above them. 

"It's working!" Luther yells, looking around in shock as Five does the same. 

"Hold on! It's gonna get messy!" He warns, yelling as loud as he can so they can hear him. 

With the electricity whirling at a fever pitch, the blue blinding light engulfs them all, lifting their feet off the ground with its power. 

And with one final look to each other in the moment, the Hargreeves siblings are gone. 

thank you for reading the first story of The Occult series, DOOMSDAY.

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

These Violent Delights Ch. 4

The Black Card

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Word Count: 2.4K

Warnings: Talk of murder, that’s pretty much it in this one. The next few chapters will have more warnings. 

Author’s Note: Smaller chapter than the last two, but it’s definitely needed to help progress the storyline. I do hope you guys enjoy this one!

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things. ♥

<< Chapter 3 || Series Masterlist || Chapter 5 >>

Elijah quickly walked into the conference room. "What do we have?" He asked as he looked over at the other officers in the room. 

He had gotten a call moments ago that he was needed down at the station asap. Without hesitating, he was there at the station in record time. All he knew was the information coming in was about Damon Salvatore. 

"We got word that Damon will be making a few calls today." One officer said, looking over at Elijah. "No doubt calling Rosa to confirm that she got the black card. "

"We've got a direct line to overhear the conversation, courtesy of Rebekah." Another officer added before handing Elijah a case file.

Elijah's eyes scanned the file. The only thing that was considered noteworthy was that Damon had already called Elena minutes before he arrived.  Closing the file, he tossed it on the nearest desk. 

"Alright, all ears in this room need to be open." He said as he addressed the room. "Whatever piece of information you think might be of use, write it down. If Damon is making this call to Rosa I want to know where she is in this city.  If I catch anyone that so much as yawns during this call, you'll have me to deal with."

A throat cleared, getting Elijah's attention. "Sir, he just made the call."

"Bring it up." Elijah said with a nod. 

The officer connected the call to the speakers in the room. The ringing played through the speakers, and it seemed as if everyone held their breath for a second. A moment later, the call connected. A distorted voice answered. 

"Are you fucking nuts, Damon?" The distorted voice asked, earning a chuckle from Damon. 

 "I take it you've picked up the kitten." His voice clear over the line. 

"Obviously. You know I don't mix business with personal affairs." The voice said, causing Elijah's eyebrow to rise.  "This is definitely crossing my line of mixing the two."

"Take note of that." Elijah said as he snapped his fingers, wanting someone to take down that as a note. If Rosa didn't entangle herself in personal affairs, there might not be a hit after all. At least Elijah was hopeful about that thought. "Rosa isn't happy with who is on the hit list." he noted. "She might actually have a heart."

"Come on, Rosa." Damon said, not missing a beat. "You know this type of kitten a lot more than anyone else. You can train it in your favor until you get it to Elena."

"You're missing the point-"

"I get the point, Rosa. I get how attached you used to be. But things changed from the last time we were all in the sandbox and I need this done."

That was enough for everyone in the room to know Rosa had known her target intimately. This hit wasn't just some random person that Damon needed to be handled. It was someone who they both knew. 

"Run a list of known associates to Damon." Elijah said, looking over at an officer. "Go far as back as you can. Including classmates. There's a connection in there somewhere."

"Don't expect me to do the works on this. I'm changing it to a drop and run."

The chuckle that came through the line from Damon was dark. "Just think of all the fun you'll have beforehand. You might hate dropping it off later but at least you'll enjoy it while you can. While dropping and running would be easier, you know you've been waiting a while for this."

"Fuck off, Damon."

"Has anyone ever found out what 'the works' meant?" Rebekah asked as she entered the room. 

"Still working on that." Elijah mumbled as he listened to the next part of the call.

"It seems I've struck a nerve."

"No shit. I've got half a mind to back out of this and return it to sender."

"But no one does it as good as you do. Come on, Rosa. You promised if I called, you'd answer. Plus it'd be a shame if I had to have a talk with V about this."

"I dare you Salvatore. It'd be an eye for an eye and there's only one of them that's currently a sitting duck. While a personal visit would be fun, I have friends in low places that would be willing to help a girl out."

"There it is." Elijah said with a small smirk. "Our list can be narrowed by anyone with a name starting with a V or even their nickname. That's where our ticket to Rosa will be."

"As much as Rosa has been a pain in my side since taking this position, I do enjoy her threats against the Salvatores." Rebekah said with a smirk pulling at her lips. "We'll need a list of anyone who has access to both Salvatore brothers."

Damon sighed. "Look, I want this taken care of, and you're the best I've got. It's a bad one to you, and I get that. But name your price, and I'd gladly pay it if you don't walk away from it. We don't need anyone else being involved."

There was a brief pause in the conversation. It was as if Rosa was debating on whether or not she wanted to do this. Both Elijah and Rebekah held their breath. They hoped it would be easier for them all if Rosa just opted out. 

"Triple the payment, upfront." The voice said a moment later. "And I'm cleared from your database."

"Done." 

"That is one hell of a payout." Elijah noted as he looked towards his sister. 

Rebekah nodded her head in agreement. "He's got enough to do just that."

"I'm serious, D. After this, I'm out. Our contract will be over and I expect you to find someone else."

"Deal. We won't discuss business at the dinner table anymore." 

Without another word from Rosa, the line went dead. 

A thought crossed Rebekah's mind as the call came to an end. "That payout is so she can completely disappear after she makes the hit."

"Looks like we'll just have to catch her before she does." Elijah said with a small smirk pulling at his lips.

_____

Adriana threw the phone across the room the moment she ended the call. She wanted nothing more than to strangle Damon for this black card. Damon knew all of her reasoning for why Adriana never wanted to mix business with personal dealings. And yet here she was. 

After seeing Elijah's name at the bottom of the tablet's screen, Adriana couldn't get herself to go to dinner. She couldn't face the girls knowing that Elijah was her intended target. She couldn't sit there and pretend that everything would be okay. That she wasn't having an internal panic attack because she was supposed to kill the only positive best friend she had. 

She hadn't even bothered to look at the complete file. The initial shock of it all forced her to shut down the tablet and put it away until now. She couldn't bring herself to look at any of the details just yet. Her heart wasn't ready for it. 

It wasn't ready to find the traces of her past inside of it. Or learn the new things Elijah had gone through while she was gone. But this was a part of the job that she usually would breeze through. And with every passing second, it was a reminder that she was about to cross a line. 

Part of her believed that she would already know a lot of the information contained in it. Even though it had been years since she last spent more than a few hours with Elijah, she still knew a lot of the details of their past.  And that alone is what made her the right person for the job, just as Damon mentioned. 

What she wasn't ready for at all were the plans Damon had forced on her. "The works" was a term that she and Damon used when Damon wanted Adriana to weasel her way into the target's life. Once she was in and they were least expecting, Adriana would make her kill. 

But this was Elijah Mikaelson. The very guy that she had known for the majority of her life. He was the one that could easily tell when there was something wrong with her. And now, she was going to have to put on a brave face if she went through with this. 

If

Now it was a matter if she could do it or not. She may have demanded triple the payment, but she didn't believe Damon would give it to her. But when Damon wanted something, he usually got it. What made it worse was Adriana never failed at her assignments. It's what made her the best on the market. 

Elijah Mikaelson was going to either break her streak or make it so she could disappear from her life as Rosa. Adriana just didn't know which one she wanted to go with yet. She knew from the moment she left home that her life as Adriana Vega was a distant memory. Her life as Rosa was about to end if she completed this job.  But it was the ghost of her past that was about to make or break everything. 

_____

"What happened at Dinner last night?" Bonnie asked as she handed Adriana a cup of coffee. 

Taking the cup, Adriana led her down the street. "I took a look at the travel arrangements after I left the bar last night." 

"And?" Bonnie asked as she walked right beside her. She brought the cup up to her lips, taking a drink. 

"I couldn't face the three of you after I found out who it was." She admitted. "This was never a life you were a part of-"

"That's bullshit." Bonnie said, cutting her off. "While we may not have known the life you were in, we were still a part of the same crowd."

Adriana's tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth. "Same crowd or not, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to this hit. Damon crossed a line with this." Her words had barely been above a whisper. 

Bonnie sighed. "How close is this person?" 

"We were all in the sandbox together." Adriana said with a nod. "But I can't give you more than that." She shook her head. 

Bonnie nodded her head in understanding. "You obviously care for this person. I know this is going to be hard for you to take care of."

"Taking care of it is the easy part. It's getting my emotions in check that will be the hardest." Adriana's voice was emotionless as she spoke about it. 

"What happens if you don't go through with this?" Bonnie asked curiously. She probably shouldn't have asked, but she couldn't help it with how Adriana was looking at the moment. 

Adriana thought about her answer. All she could think about was Greta's voice in her mind at that moment. 

"You are not to fail." Greta said as she circled Adriana. 

Adriana stood tall as Greta took her steps around her. After all the training Greta had put her through, Adriana was the perfect killing machine. Everything Greta knew, she taught Adriana, and she made it better. 

"And if I fail?" Adriana asked the moment Greta was back in front of her. 

The woman took a few steps towards her until she was right in her face. "You may as well as turn that pistol on you before the buyer finds out. It's never pretty, Rosa. Cause once they get a hold of you, you're gonna wish you had done it yourself."

Sighing, Adriana brought the cup up to her lips and took a drink of the hot liquid. "It's either them or me. And I kind of like having the air in my lungs."

"Damon wouldn't-" Bonnie began, but Adriana stopped her. 

"This is a business." Adriana stopped in her tracks and looked over at Bonnie. "I knew what I was getting myself into the moment I left. Salvatore is no different from his father, and I've seen what is done to those who go against Damon's orders."

Adriana didn't miss the way Bonnie's eyes widened at her words. As much as Bonnie had been learning from Elena and Caroline, they were blind to what went on behind closed doors.  It is evident to Adriana that this wasn't the world Bonnie belonged in. 

"Are you going to go through with it?" Bonnie asked a moment later. 

Adriana shrugged. "We'll see how deep down the rabbit hole I go tonight."

_____

Marcel's eyes scanned the list of connections to Damon Salvatore that started with a V. The list still held a decent amount of people on it. Most of them had a record. While a part of the list was still locked away and a few others were six feet under, two names were sticking out to him the most. 

Shaking his head slightly, he sighed. The names were going to make things harder. Getting up from his seat and grabbing the paper, he headed over towards Rebekah and Elijah, who had been talking away about the case. 

"You guys might want to see this." He said as he approached them and held out the paper. 

Rebekah took the paper, and her eyes scanned the list. "Is this the known associates of Salvatore?"

"Yes." Marcel said with a nod. "Going back as far as the sandbox."

It was as her eyes landed on the same names Marcel had taken notice of that they widened. "That doesn't mean anything." 

Elijah took the list away from his sister as she spoke. He went through the list quickly, trying to figure out what they had been talking about. His heart dropped at the names. 

"We knew this." He said, shaking his head.  "Vega and Salvatore were always tied together."

"You heard Rosa, though." Marcel said, looking at Elijah. "Only one of them was a sitting duck."

"It might be time to go speak with them and see what they know." Rebekah said, placing her hand on her brother's shoulder. "Victor is the only one who is still out in the open, and he might just be the connection to Rosa we need."

Elijah sighed. "Adriana isn't going to like this."

“The Mikaelsons to come and question a Vega isn’t going to sit well with either of them.” Marcel added. 

“It might be better to give her a call as a heads up.” Rebekah said as she turned to grab her things.

Marcel grimaced. “She’ll still give us hell.”

Elijah shook his head. “Better to have before than after we get there.” He pulled his phone out and dialed her number. 

The phone rang a few times before Adriana answered. 

“Hello?”

“Adri, I hate to be the barer of bad news, but we are going to be heading over to speak with your father.” Elijah said as watched Marcel grab his things. 

“Is there a reason, Mikaelson?” Elijah hadn’t missed the venom in her words. 

“We believe he may be able to help us out in a case.” He wanted to give her as much information as possible without actually discussing the case. 

“What case? The same one you questioned Caroline for?”

“Yes.” He said with a nod, even though she couldn’t see it. “Just a couple questions. If you’d like someone to be there, we’ll wait.”

“If my father leaves in cuffs from the house after you are done asking your questions, you won’t like what comes next.”

A small smirk pulled at Elijah’s lips. “Is that a threat, Adri?”

Adriana’s chuckle came through the line before she hung up.

Always & Forever Tag:

@taylordrunkonwhiskey​ @thewolf-and-thesheep​ @wayward-dan​ @neeadinghugs​ @kenmen02​ @elizamonet​ @dora-the-grownup​ @mschellehitt​ @xanderling​ @fandom-princess-forevermore​ @buckysarm4​ @hi-my-name-is-riley​ @helenasingers​ @alka16555​

These Violent Delights:

@asiaaisa77​ @kpopgirlbtssvt​ @winchestert101​ @deni-gonzalez​

Stag Tag:  

@elejah-wonderland​  @xxsovereignsarayaxx​ @asiaaisa77​ @astudyoftimeywimeystuff​

The Originals Tag:

@zillahvathek​ @obsessedwithvampires​ @alien-sida

[nic-214]

Jimercury: Model (2)

Art Credit: Darlingfreddie (Tumblr)

Tw: Domestic Violence

Jim storms into his manger's office a scared Freddie follows after him, "What is this?!" he slams a magazine down onto the table.

In bold letters the magazine title read: "Famous Model Caught With Illegal Immigrant??!!" and a picture of Jim pressed against his car with Freddie bitting on his neck in the parking lot, Jim's head tossed back in a silent moan both seem to be enjoying themselves.

"Look," his manger says softly flipping through the magazine, "We'll talk to Paramour Weekly and have the magazine recall if you're not comfortable with this."

Jim grits his teeth, "I want to clear some shit up first. Call Steven and set me up to be interviewed by Creative Gazette, alright. I'm doing a quick photoshoot for today then the interview.''

Jim storms out and Freddie follows. Diva Taylor gives them a smile and prissy wave, " You!" Jim roars grabbing Roger by his collar, "You took those damn pictures!! You made me seem like some whore!!"

Roger laughs, "You can't touch me lard ass. I'll have you fired and get you blacklisted from ever agency in the country."

"So you did do it." Freddie says, " Why? Are you still pissed that I wouldn't let you use me like your bitch? Are you pissed that Brian finds me more attractive than you? Are you pissed that Brian tried to sleep with me?"

Roger lets out a snarl and shoves Jim away. The blond stomps over and jabs a finger into Fred's bony chest, "I'm getting you fired and making sure you'll never work again."

Brian who was standing there silently there the entire time grabs Roger by his hair hard, "I fucking hate you." Brian says anger dripping from his words, "I'm only here for our baby.''

Roger jerks around and slaps Brian hard across his face, ''You don't talk to me like that. I'll tell the police you beat me and rape me, and you'll never get to see your baby."

Brian's face pales and he lowers his hand, the handprint on his face still a angry pink.

"Should we-" Jim shushed Freddie and hurries into his private room.

The Irishman dials 999 quickly and reports Roger in to the police. He locks the door afterward and prays silently, Freddie prays as well.

"D-Do we do the photoshoot still?"

"You want a paycheck right?" Jim asks.

Freddie nods and gets things ready for Jim. After what seemed like the 80th picture a commotion was heard from outside. Jim slides a shirt back on and the two step out of the room, Freddie's camera was still in his hands out of his bag.

"You can't arrest me!! Do you know who I am?! My daddy will ruin you!!" Roger yells fighting against the officers.

Freddie started recording shakily.

"Sir we need you to calm down. We just want to talk." a younger officer says.

Roger tries to spit on him only to get kneed in the back roughly. Which made Roger cry out about the baby.

The entire hallway was crowded with people as Roger was getting arrested. Brian stood numbly watching his husband fight the officers, the thirty-two year old looks down at his hand and removes his ring.

"This is our faults isn't it?" Freddie asks softly as the crowd starts to file down the halls. Jim only nods and tries to push past the throng of people taking Fred's hand as they pushed through.

"Brian," Freddie says softly as they stop.

Brian looks up then down at them he looks to of been crying, "T-Thank you." was all he said before he starts to sob.

Jim tosses his arm over Brian's shoulder, "Lets get you some water. Maybe something to snack on."

Brian sniffles and trembles a little as they leave the building. Jim squeezes Fred's hand seeing both Creative Gazette and Paramour Weekly camera men outside the building filming and snapping pictures.

"Mr. Taylor! Mr. Taylor!" a reporter yells trying to shove a microphone into his face, "Is it true Roger was abusive?!"

Brian held his hand up and tries to cover the camera up, "N-No comment." he sounded broken the handprint was still faintly visible on his cheek.

Jim rushed him to his car and they quickly leave the scene. They got stuck in traffic on the way to a restaurant. Jim drums his fingers against the wheel, Brian hiccups and rubs his face.

"Is it bad that I forgive him?" Brian asks.

Freddie makes a small noise and looks to Jim, "His father abused him.... He couldn't break the cycle..... He took it out on me... I know I'll get to keep our baby... So I'll break the cycle for our child."

Jim grips the wheel and shifts in his seat, "Roger is quite the scandal... He's cheated on you-"

"5 times with women and 3 times with men." Brian says anger now spilling out.

"What if the baby isn't yours?" Freddie asks.

Brian sits up properly banging his head off the car roof. He rubs his head, "I'll raise the child as my own and give them a nurturing home. You can have a child but it takes something special to be a dad."

The car was filled with an awkward silence now as they cruise past traffic. The three of them got to a cheap restaurant to eat for lunch. Brian munched down on salad and a tofu burger, he looked so tired.

"I wasn't just Roger's husband..." Brian says out of the blue, "I was his modeling agent and I did camera work on the side with other models that made him jealous."

Freddie pats his hand, "I'm so sorry.''

Brian looks at Freddie then to his salad, "I want you to be my new model."

Jim and Freddie both gasp, "B-But aren't I too dark?"

Brian raises a brow, "You look perfect. Tiny too... Most agencies like that for some reason." Brian waves his fork.

"We can take some practice pictures at my studio." Jim offers wanting to support his boyfriend.

Freddie stammers and covers his mouth blushing, "I-I-I.. Im.. Oh thank you both!" he hugs them both.

They finished up lunch and head to Jim's studio. Freddie was practically bouncing now, "Do I still look pretty with my short hair?"

They were walking up the stairs now, Jim kisses him, "You're so beautiful no matter what... But short hair does look good on you."

Brian chuckles and sets up the lighting and camera, "Alright give me a ballet dancer's pose. I want to see something."

Freddie stretches and wiggles a little. He takes a deep breath and poses.

(Picture)

"Perfect.'' Brian says snapping pictures. He grins showing Jim his favourite.

"You're a better model than me." Jim chuckles, "Practically all natural model."

Freddie felt his blush grow darker and he covers his teeth, "Thank you, darlings."

As the two were chattering about getting Freddie a contract, Brian's phone goes off and his answers it. He sighs and talks about Roger and the baby before hanging up, "Well.. Guess who's going to court?"

........

It was a long lengthy trial that Roger tried to drag on but thanks to Jim's connections and wealth Brian was able to carry on the trial. Roger was found guilty of domestic assault, fraud, drug possession, and identity theft. He loses all rights to his child once it's born and it'll be placed with its father, Brian. But he'll only serve 35 years though.

Brian nearly cried his abuser was out of his life and he got to raise the baby. He thanked Jim over and over again for his help, "Don't thank me. Just make me and Fred the godfathers to Brian Jr."

Brian giggles and picks up the fat man hugging him tightly, "I owe you my life!"

Jim chuckles, "I just want to see my baby become a star. That's all I want from you besides the godfathers part."

Brian nods undoing his hair from his man-bun he lets the long licks trickle down him, "I can't wait to change diapers, squish their wittle cheeks, teach them about space!" Brian babbles as they leave the courthouse.

"Do you have a nursery ready?" Freddie asks.

Brian pales, "Fuck!" he bolts down the stairs, "I've only got the walls painted and a tiny square crib ready!" Brian panics running his hands through his curls.

"Jim?" Freddie looks over to him.

Jim was already on the phone talking to people, "I'm on it. My godchild will have the fanciest nursery."

Brian gives him a look, "Just a normal nursery, I'm already in debt to you."

Jim laughs, "Mr. May no you are not. I'm just being your friend."

......

(Nursery)

Jim and Brian had the nursery all set for the baby which they found out to be a girl. They were ready to go when the caseworker called Brian to the hospital for the labor. Freddie grabbed the clothing bag for the baby and they took off. Jim and Freddie sat in the waiting room they were going to be supportive.

Brian was watching his daughter be born while three officers stood guard even though Roger was handcuffed to the bed railing. Some part of Brian wanted to comfort him, to let him know the pain was almost over. Was he being too nice? Yes, but that was in his nature. He walked over and held Roger's hand telling him words of comfort. Soon Brian heard, "Would the father like to cut the cord?''

Brian did so, he held the baby first Roger wasn't allowed and hearing his cries hurt but the bitch had it coming. After a day in hospital and much bickering on a name Brian had come up with one, "Jimena (hay-MAY-nah) Frederica May." Brian announces.

"Spell her first name please?" Jim asks.

"J-i-m-e-n-a." Brian spells.

Jim blushes and grins, "You really did it? You named her after us?"

"You two have been my truest friends. I think she needs the names of the two strongest people I know."

Jim could feel himself tear up. He and Freddie hug Brian and hold his little girl.

"You know she's a brunet right?" Jim says playing with her fuzz.

"Green eyes too." Freddie comments.

"Kinda looks grey.." Brian adds he paused, "I know she may not be mine. But I'll love her no matter what."

"She was born with addictive issues.. Roger did drugs with her in the womb." Brian tells them, "But I love her so much. I'm willing to help her."

After discussing with Brian about getting help and babysitting, Jim and Fred left. One the drive back to Jim's Freddie looks over at him, "Is it bad that I want a baby?"

Jim nearly swerves, "Really?" he grins, "Freddie-"

"But I'm scared to carry."

Jim pauses now pulling into their driveway, "I'll carry our baby then."

Freddie kisses him gingerly, "But we're waiting right? Until we're a little older and more on our feet right?"

Jim nods and nuzzles him, " When we're 29 and 27?"

Freddie nods that seemed like a long time away, "I love you."

"I love you too."

They kiss again and Freddie couldn't be more in love with his Irishman.

[2idiots]

Keep Yourself Alive

pt. 6 // pt. 7 // pt. 8a

word count: 1,667ish

NCT Frat Social Media AU // College Athlete & Fratboy Lucas x reader

warnings: not really any, kind angsty, more than just mentions of chronic pain

(I don't know how but the second paragraph got deleted when I first uploaded. I have since added it in. So if you see something new that's why)

---

Getting Johnny from outside the building to inside your room was a lot more difficult than you expected. This was partially because your best friend was much drunker than his texts suggested and partially because each step was sending a pain reverberating down your legs and up your abdomen. A pain that you knew the mild over-the-counter pain meds would do little to numb but you had taken them with false hope anyway. Before your best friend had forced you into letting his drunkass in you were curled into your bed with a heating pad pressed into your abdomen, hoping eventually exhaustion would win over excruciating pain.

This was the real reason you bolted out of Jet Lag the minute your friends were off in different directions distracted. The pain had triggered before Mark's open mic night started but you were not about to miss the night you friend had been talking about for weeks. This was so important to him and you had to be there. So you sucked it up and promised yourself to duck out the moment it was clear and Mark had performed. Woo noticing and staying over for a few hours was just a welcomed surprise. And the leftover baked goods he brought were another plus side, not that you had any appetite. At least your blubbering fool of a friend would benefit from the pile of pastries sitting on your desk, if you could make it past the giggling desk attendant.

The first time you walked passed her with bleary eyes, focused on only the task ahead she called out something about the “cute Oppa” at the door. Immediately a gag raced up your throat at that, Johnny? A cute Oppa? Gross. He was like your brother, actually more like your overprotective mother. Sure you joked about Johnny being a daddy, but it was all shits and giggles to make him mad with Mark. He wasn't actually one.  The second time she made some sort of pass at him that you blocked out and stifled another gag. You didn’t need to see or hear that child making passes at your best friend.

That wasn’t the only thing she was giggling at though. You and Johnny were quite the sight. He was a stumbling, stuttering fool and you were wearing pajamas that had been picked out in the dark, not even your shoes matched. These were things you had thrown on when Johnny begged you to let him in but your headache was pounding too much to turn the lights on, which was also the reason for the sunglasses. 

Speaking of Big Foot, he was using you almost completely as a support and he weighed a lot more than his bony ass looked. How he managed to make it to your building from 7th Sense was beyond you, he could barely make it three steps without giggling and sliding around. Honestly this made you more than a little nervous for Mark, usually he was the giggly one after a few drinks. If Johnny was this drunk, then Mark could very well be dead.

Overall the hardest obstacle for Johnny to maneuver around was your actual room. He tripped over everything. Maybe it was his long spindly legs combined with the alcohol, but he even fell just trying to walk over your rug. You had to catch him before he face planted. Of course he just contiuned blabbering about the night and how well it went the whole time, even while laughing at his clumsiness. “Then Mark fell! Kinda like how he is falling for sunflower boy but like fell… on the actual ground… like how I just almost fell!” To which you just nodded, handing him a pastry and an ice cold water bottle. “And Jae was so funny, he was talking about the basketball team and one of their parties last week where someone drank beer from a ball that had been cut in half. Isn’t that gross?”

“Yeah babe, real gross,” You nodded, trying to push him toward your bed. You might not have been asleep before he messaged but you were still in bed ready to sleep and you wanted to be back there. “Can you get in bed, Jojo? I'll tired.”

Following your direction like a lost lamb, Johnny swiftly removed all his out layers and climbed into your bed continuing to talk about the basketball team and how pretty and funny they were, all the while giving you very pointed looks. Or at least he was prattling on until he went completely silent and tense before screeching, “THERE’S SOMETHING WARM!”

Arms crossed and irritation pulsed through you at the scream, you leaned over to pull the heating pad out from under him and wiggled it around in your outstretched hand, “Johnny you’ve met HP before, HP meet Big Foot.”

“HP? You named your heating pad?” He questioned already snuggling back into your sheets like he owned the bed. This happened every time he was over, sober or drunk it didn’t matter; Johnny took up every blanket and pillow in your entire bed: partially because his size, mostly because he was an asshole. One of the many reasons you were hesitant to let him stay over anymore, even though you always ended up letting him stay.

“Might as well, he’s in my bed so often,” You grinned before grabbing another water bottle out of the mini fridge in the corner of the room and tossing it his direction. While this wasn’t a common occurrence, drunk Johnny, you did know that he would wake up in three hours whining about a dry mouth and you didn't want to deal with it.

“I mean he wasn’t on Halloween.” Luckily you flipped the lights off before you could see his suggestive eyebrow wiggle. Here was the worst part, talkative drunk Johnny taking an interest in your life and trying to lay down his tips on life. 

Grabbing an extra blanket for yourself you slid in next to him and laughed that thought off, “Actually HP was, ALSO I thought we agreed to not talk about Halloween, leave the past behind us and all.”

“Behind us? Is that how you like it y/n?” He let out a slight whimper when you turned over enough to give him a solid kick to the shin. This alcohol was giving him far more confidence than normal and you didn’t like it. Throwing his hands up, Johnny tossed out a worthless apology and whined, “I deserved that ok. But you know I wouldn’t call it the past, don’t you tutor the dude?”

That elicited a quiet response from you, a simple, “Yeah.”

“Isn’t it like two or three times a week?” He didn’t stop his incessant babbling long enough for you to answer, adding on, “You’re quite popular, my friends keep asking about you too.” Then a switch suddenly flipped in Johnny’s mind, evident by how he practically climbed over you to switch the lamp back on and give you his best mom glare, “Wait, you’re sleeping with HP?” You let out a few weak protests as the light flooded your room and his bony ass arm squished you down into the bed digging into your side. Drunk friends sucked. Too bad you loved them too much to leave them on the street. “So you’re in pain? You’re in pain and you didn’t say anything? You just went home alone and lied to Mark and me?”

“Johnny I always sleep with a heating pad and I’m always in pain. It's not a big deal.” Tonight just happened to be bad, still was, but you left that part out. “Also Jungwoo just left; I wasn’t alone.” That was accompanied by a successful effort to push him off so you could flip the light off again and snuggle into the heating pad again. “Now go to sleep, I'm tired.”

There was a brief moment of silence before you heard sniffling and an occadsional shuffle.

“Are you crying?” You asked incredulously, flipping over to see him hastily wiping away his tears in the ambient light filtering in through the window. Sure enough, your bitch-ass best friend was laying on the other side of the bed using his white undershirt to wipe his tears away. At least he was smart enough not to use your sheets as the tissue. “Stop crying.” This was new. Your friends probably knew way too much about how hard your days were getting, in fact Johnny had driven you to the ER one too many times over the past year and a half, but they had never cried in front of you. At least not about you. 

You hated it.

His immediate response was denial, no he wasn’t crying. These weren’t tears, they were allergies. "Leaks in my face." But you still heard him mutter a muted “I just want you to be happy and not in pain” as the alcohol running through his system finally knocked him out.

You were struck silent, not sure how to respond. Sure he was your closest friend and that meant he had to like you, but this affection made breathing a little hard: your chest not quite expanding like it should. You felt a warm tear roll down your cheek as you turned to face the other side of the room, an effort to get away. This was exactly why you didn't tell them about tonight, you didn't want them burdened with your pain. They should have to suffer just because you were. 

Ignoring the ache in your chest, you blindly reached out for where you set your phone on the bedside table. You still may not be able to sleep but you could get some reading done and maybe forget the sound of Johnny's tears. And maybe, just maybe, the words would lull you into some dreamlike state so you could rest. It was only a few minutes into reading that a text interrupted the chapter. 

summary: College is hard enough, right? Coursework, two jobs, a social life, and the state of your mental health. As if that was enough now the school’s no.1 athlete won’t leave you alone after a one night stand. And maybe you like him back but you have a tendency to run when life gets too difficult especially now that undiagnosed chronic pain just seems to be getting worse with each passing month.

(I've decided updates will be Thursday at 6pm. I hope you enjoy this chapter)

Taglist: @princeofshenzhenuwus

[proxyartsblog]

Fallout Equestria ( Country Roads)

By proxyart.

{The introduction}

(68 years after the mega spells)

(A group of Caravan ponies and a group of Talons sit around a campfire in the forest of  West Virgineigh in the shadow the the stable 76 ruins .  It's cold out and the two groups sit making small talk and trading stories. After a while a pony started to notice a odd member of the talon group)

A shy young blue unicorn spoke up , she had a soft timid voice. "um m..mr Griffin... how ... uh no um why is... your back legs different from the other Griffins?" Her ears dropped as he looked Over at her.

"I'm a hippogriff" said the smooth looking avian, he was quite pretty, with his lovely golden feathers and creamy tan coat , he spoke with a unique accent, something from the old world the blue unicorn thought.

"F..forgive me but a what?" She said with a puzzled shakey voice.

(He smiled and sat up.)

"A hippogriff my dear filly" the smooth voice said, he spoke like a pony, " you don't know do you? " he asked.

(The blue unicorn shook her head.)

" no sorry I'm not aware of Griffins or anything to do with the talons " she blushes brightly noticing them stare.

(The hippogriff's beak gives a friendly smile as he steps into the fire light.)

"My name is Apple Gin, and I am not a normal creature, no matter how you look at it, I'm the descend of a earth pony who throw out all odds service the mega spells and fell in love with a Griffin , from her and their love my mother was born , my mother was a miracle my grandfather said, a foal that shouldn't exist but somehow did."

(Apple Gin saw the curiosity growing in the eyes of the young filly.)

"You want to know more don't you? " he asked with a croaked smile.

(The blue unicorn nodded happily, no longer the shy blue filly she was , this girl got closer to hear every word he spoke. )

"Please tell me what happened?!" The filly gidded as she clopped her hoofs excitedly.

Apple Gin sighed and sat back on his haunches. " so you want to know the story of my ancestor the the legendary stable 76? "  he asked.

She smiled sweetly and nodded " yes!" She paused for a moment  "I mean yes please mr. Gin sir"

Apple Gin gave her a odd look and sighed happily, " Gin is fine... so where to start this story? ... it's a long one to tell "

(The blue pony thought for a moment then with a smile.)

"I got all night... better then dealing with them swamp crawlers or mega beasts... right Gin ?"

(Apple Gin smiled )

"Yes ma'am " he started to tell his grandmother's story.

"To tell this tale we must start off 25 years after the war... 25 years after the mega spells dropped and all of equestria was plunged Into Darkness".

(War ... war never changes.... )

[End holotape prologue. ]

☆◇♧♡♤☆◇♧♡♤☆◇♡♧♤☆

[Chapter one] country roads.

[Memory orb holotape begin]

(A song started to play over the PA system of the stable, followed by a older mare's voice)

(A inebriated orange and creamy caramel colored earth pony falls out of her bed woken by the loudly playing music and that mare's voice, she looked around her stable room and realized it was very quiet, too quiet, there was a huge party just yesterday, and today was her 25th birthday, the day she was also supposed to leave the stable as well.)

"Shit... ouch my head, I swear one day I'll stop drinking " she always said it but she never has, after all she owed her cutie mark to alcohol, all the members of her father's family did, it was a family tradition and Apple whiskey wasn't going to be the pony to end a family tradition!

(She looked at goodmorning stable-tec window with its happy  little birds and smiling sun, the stable colt smiled back at her reminding her she was late. )

"Good morning stable 76, this is the Overmare , I hope you all enjoyed the party last night, even those who might have over overindulged and overslept. But it's time to get up and get out there, we've been locked away long enough."

(She listened to the Overmare speech as she brushed her teeth and combed her mane, it didn't do anything to help, her mane and tail was a knotted mess of curls and knots, she had tried to keep her hair nice but since mother died Whiskey had a hard time with managing it.)

"Stupid mane... ouch! How am I supposed to brush this mess if I'm not a unicorn!?" She yelled frustrated by her lack of magic or her mothers hair dresser bot.

(Her mother was a robotics engineer, the best in equestria or so others told her. The stable was full of the best and brightest members of equestria and many of the ponies onces worked for stable-tec or rob-co, some were doctors and musicians, others were bankers, scientist, farmers, painters, chefs and more, if they were the best they were in 76!, and the offspring, the children of the generation of genius ponies? Why they were told daily that they were going to save equestria... and the world, that day was today... and Apple wasn't running to the stable door like the others had.)

(A robot brought Apple whiskey her pipbuck, it had a big 76 Pip‑buck 2000 in blue and silver numbers on it with the ugly brown and tan pipbuck casing , Apple placed it on her fetlock and began to adjust to it's weight, Apple thought her pipbuck was very ugly and useless, all she ever used it for was the radio and keeping track of other ponies. )

"Stupid heavy thing..." said Apple.

"Oh miss Apple I thought you'd never wake up" said the floating mr. Handy.

(The over mare's voice pulsed for a moment or two then continued )

"Today is Reclamation day, I kn..."( the voice was drowned out for a bit.)

"What? Why? " Apple whiskey asked.

"Why its Reclamation day don't you remember? Most of the stable is already gone ." Said the robot.

"All ready gone?! But its only..." Apple looked at the time. " Half past noon! How could you let me over sleep so long!?" She started to ran to get her stuff packed .

( the Overmare's voice started again)

"It maybe time to leave but I'll always remember the day you all entered stable 76, you come from everywhere walk of life, every pony race, color and creed, but you all share one very important trait, you are equestrias best and brightest but more importantly you will always be my family."

(The broadcast ended)

"Wow Overmare ... I wonder if the old mare is still here? ... would make sense that the Overmare would be last to leave right?" Apple got all the things she wanted to take with her.

(Apple whiskey packed a large saddlebag with 5 bottles of purified water, 3 stem packs, 2 boxes of big-mac and cheese, 1 picture of her parents, a hoof pistol and a hoof full of bullets,  2 Med-X , 2 healing potions, 1 sparkle cola cherry and 4 bottles of her famous Apple whiskey and the recipe so no one else could make it .)

"Miss Apple you mustn't forget about you're camp " said the Mr handy.

"My camp? What is that? ... you mean my still bot? " Apple asked.

(The Mr. handy looked insulted by her calling that metal pot a robot)

"No miss apple not that busted excuse for bolts.... the camp unit is you're home away from home miss... " he handed her the rather small box .

"This is a camp?" She looked complex.

"You need a home base out there. The Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform is designed to give you one." Said the handy.

"So this will help me serve? Good to know... uh ok " Apple took the camp and stored it in her saddlebags.

"Wow it fits a lot... one day I'll learn how it carries all my junk..." she was impressed by the bags, she thought it had to be part of the stable-tec spell Matrix.

(Apple strapped the saddlebags to her back and holstered her pistol. )

"Ok looks like that's everything Handy...what will you do onces I'm gone?" She asked.

(The mr. Handy hovered around and brought her a tiny mr. handy statuette.)

"Miss Apple please take care of yourself... I'll be here , I must lock up the stable and once I do life support will be turned off... no living creature will be able to close the stable door." The handy said .

( Apple looked sad but she understood she would never seen the first friend she had again, tears fell down her pale caramel coat.)

"Good bye old friend " Apple gave the bot a quick nuzzle and a kind smile.

(Apple set out her room and into the corredores of the stable, the gray drury walls of the stable gave her a bit of comfort, she was very nervous about leaving, if it was up to Apple whiskey she would have stayed there until she died un old mare with many grand foals running through the many hall's. )

(As Apple walked past the Overmare's office she popped her head in to say goodbye however the office was completely empty of life.)

"Overmare!... eh? ... nuna?... " Apple walked around her desk and sat in the big chair, it smelled so nice , the smell of foal hood memories.

(The Overmare loved to let the foals play in her office while their parents worked their various jobs in the stable. Her happiness memories were learning how to be a Overmare from the only grandmother she would ever know. )

"Overmare... I guess I'll never get to say goodbye to her..." Apple saw that her terminal was still on, normally she wouldn't snoop but she was as rather nosy filly .

(Apple clicked her hoof to the keyboard and  ejected a holotape from the Overmare's office terminal)

"What in the seven?... a holotape? " she wondered if it was a goodbye from the Overmare.

"Overmare what could you be up to?" Apple noticed the holotape port in the side of her pipbuck, she put the holotape in .

(The holotape started to play)

"Overmare's log, or should I say, direct communication. Because whoever is listening to this had the moxy to try to find out where I've gone." It paused for a moment.

"But I'm glad you did. Truth is, I need your help. I've been given a task, and... I've decided to break protocol and tell you what it is. Because If there's one thing I've learned in these past few years, it's that we need to rely on each other." It paused for a moment.

"There were three active mega spell silos in Virgineigh before the Balefire Bombs fell. They blew up the Equestria before. We can't let it happen again. So we've got to locate and secure all of the silos, or die trying. Hopefully the former. Hmph." It paused for a moment.

"But it's been twenty-five years. I just don't know what we're going to find out there. Or where to start... My directive was to go to the nearest population center and assess the situation. I'll set up a C.A.M.P. on the way once I get my bearings. Find me there." The holotape stopped.

(Apple felt confused as she tried to figure out and take in all the information she just heard.  Apple wasn't exactly sure what she could do to help her but if the Overmare needed her she would try her best to find her and help... not because of Stable tec but for the only grandmother she had... the pony who called her family. )

"Looks like we are going out there after all..."  she thought to herself.

(Apple started to wake out when she stopped at the Overmare's bedroom door, she had took the time to make her bed and straighten her room, maybe she should have cleaned up her room before as well but she didn't want the handy bots to have nothing to do for all time.)

"Wow Overmare you really need to relax... hehehe " Apple said with a giggle.

(She smiled at the handy bots that met her at the hatch to the stable door.)

"Goodbye handys...  I wish you all the best, look after the stable for everypony. " Apple hugged the sliver handy bot.

"Goodbye miss apple, and we will look after your sill bot... even if we think it's a waste of technology and fermented grains." Said the mr. handy.

(Apple smiled, she whipped her eyes.)

"I'll miss all of you so much " Apple tried not to cry as she walked thought the stable entrance and stepped out into the world beyond .

[End of holotape chapter one.]

https://my.w.tt/JCjbulc9R5

[r3b3lgrrrrrrrl]

A LunaTic and her Gunn (Part 100 Xs1) "Day 26: Seattle and Old Side Chicks"

@creatureofthen1ght-v3 @crystalbaby12 @backoftheroomandnotbelonging @5sosfam1dlover @rosefilledhearts-blog

Luna's eyes whip open. Her brain continuously running around things through out the few short hours it was supposed to call Sleep. That's how Luna functions when she has an idea.

Bursting with hungover energy, she jumps out of bed. Luna's never up and moving like this unless her mind is flying with creativity. This morning being a prime example as she tries to connect the musical dots that are overcrowding her head.

Not even bothering to smoke or brush her teeth, she's out the door. Down the hall. Banging on Ashley and Dom's door.

"I've got an idea." She states as she makes her way past a groggy Ashley.

It's not even 8A and Luna is buzzing. They went to bed around 4A. Ashley hating Luna's guts in this moment.

With her hands and arms full, Luna drops her treats on the floor. Her phone, notebook, multiple pens, bowl, jar of weed and two prescription bottles filled with Percocets and Xanax falling around her. Along with her Ideas.

"I wanna run a Super Jam." She states, wiggling her fingers. "I don't know how though yet...." She trails as she sits amongst her treasures.

Ashley plunks down beside her. Dutifully packing the bowl for her creatively manic friend

"Wut's 'oin ya mind?" Dom pops up from the bed asking.

"I don't knooowww....." Luna answers honestly. "I don't know if we should run an Authentic Seattle, Mainstream Grunge, Dead Seattle or Dead Grunge...." Her leg bouncing to the different songs running through her mind.

Covering Bands is really cool for some artists.... Paying homage is an entirely different entity.

Ashley fires up the bowl. Exhaling her hit, she asks Luna What's More Important.

"Fran." Luna answers without a thought as Ashley passes her the bowl with a knowing look. "Lemme call Colson." She decides as she takes a hit.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Colson's annoyed by his phone ringing. It's early as FUCK. No one should be calling him right now. Seeing the who it is, his anger lifts.

"HEY!!" He can feel her shine through the phone.

"Hi, Kitty..." Even tired he can't help but grin at the sound of her voice.

"I got an idea!!" She explodes.

"Oooh, yeah? What?" Colson asks.

He loves her ideas and little games. Luna never failing to amuse, intrigue and push him beyond his artistic scope. Or sexual limits.

"I wanna Super Jam.... I'm thinking four or five GREAT songs..." She goes on to explain.

"FUCK yeah!" Colson finds himself grinning harder with a nod.

"Cool... I'm getting out of here as quick as possible. Talk to The Boys. By time I get back we need a solid idea to mix and rehearse.

"I got you, Kitten." He reassures her, pumped by her idea.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Off the phone, Colson is hard from the sound of Luna's voice. Sliding his hand around his thick cock, he smiles.

"My Bitch is like no other...." He thinks as he aches for her.

Remembering her birthday gift to him, Colson grabs his laptop. Finding the file and setting himself up, he's prepared for his viewing.

Seeing Luna tease and fuck him, Colson strokes his cock like he's trying to strangle someone. He grows harder as he watches himself devour Luna's insides. Remembering her sweet taste of peaches, he pulls on himself faster.

Stroking his dick at a firm pace, his grip tightens. Watching their video, he imagines every inch of Luna as she slides herself around him on the laptop's screen.

Cooing as she helps him pump his huge cock into her. The sound of their satisfied moans pushing on his brain.

Floating back to That Night. The way he felt so nervous until Luna had popped in wearing The Cheetah Print Coat. The sight of her taunting his dick while easing his soul. It was the first time he had ever fucked her. Instantly admitting that he was truly in love with HER. Not just the memory of The Girl In The Cheetah Print Coat.

Their connection and sex being an inescapable delight. No one ever fucking his body or mind like THAT Brooklyn Bitch.

Yanking on his cock now, Colson's body stiffens as he splooges all over himself. Breathing hard, he lays there. Details from the strip club still weaving through his mind.

--------------------------------------------------

"Yo. Book us. I gotta get the fuck up outta here ASAP...." Luna says to Ashley's nod.

Catching a call from Monica, she's freaking out. It seems to be a steady state of mind for her recently. Luna hates it.

"I'm done." Monica states firmly. "I'm your FUCKING LAWYER. NOT YOUR MANAGER."

"Wait.... What the fuck are you talking about?" Luna questions her.

"I'm talking about that I'm your Lawyer but.... You need a Manager because I CAN'T manage your schedule." She starts in. "You don't know what this last month has been like for me. Besides all the legal and wedding shit, no one has your number so they all hit ME. My phone stays blowing up over you." Monica states with frustration.

"Wait... What??" Luna's beyond lost.

"YOU.NEED.A.MANAGER." Monica says slowly like Luna's dumb.

On this she is. Dumb and confused.

"What???" Luna asks again.

This makes Monica beyond frustrated.

"Dude... I can't book you... It's not my job. You NEED to get a FUCKING Man.A.Ger. I've been getting calls for IT since yesterday. Stern wants to book you... Good Morning America has BEEN asking for either Nightmare or Bad Things.... FUCK! THAT'S NOT MY FUCKING JOB!!" Monica yells.

"Wait.... Why IT?" Luna asks.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?" Monica finally explodes. "You played it on fucking DayTime TV yesterday!!"

"OH SHIT!!! THEY RAN IT!!" Luna shouts in disbelief.

Amazed, Luna can't help but grin. Knowing she's as pretty as a sunset but always thinking her words were too ugly for DayTime. She's beyond pleased. IT is EXACTLY the kind of song people SHOULD be listening to at all times. Day or night, the message of the song never changes.

"You need a FUCKING manager. I'm not THAT. You paid for law school for A FUCKING REASON. To protect you, not to fucking schedule you." Monica expresses with an attitude.

"I know...." Luna begins to apologize before slipping into hungover reality. "You got ANY suggestions?" Luna can't help but ask with a snark, feeling slightly abandoned.

"No. Do this yourself." Monica says, still pissed.

"What about vetting?" Luna questions her.

"Fine. Bring me three. We'll figure it out who from there." She slightly relents.

"Thank you, Mon. Seriously. I know this last month has been a lot. I'm sorry. I'll find someone. I just.... You know I value your opinion... So, thank you." Luna sighs.

Meeting their freshman year in high school, Monica knows Luna is genuine. Whether she pays her or not, they're true friends. Monica being one of the few Luna will back down from and compromise with.  As Monica lets up on her a bit, they end their phone call on a positive note.

-------------------------------------------------

"So, what? Snippets of different songs mashed together?" Baze asks Colson as he explains Luna's idea.

Sitting around the front of The Bus, they're getting toasted with their morning coffee. Colson had woke them up after he'd showered, knowing they needed to get to work.

"Yeah... Just like that. Probably running like 6 or 7mins...." Colson answers to his nod of understanding.

"When will she be back?" Slim asks of Luna.

"They're on their way now. Should be here before 4P." Colson informs him.

"Wait. She wants to do this tonight?" Slim asks, without waiting for an answer he goes on. "That gives us 3hrs to piece together basically a whole new song.... Of shit we ain't probably NEVER play before so we gonna have to learn it AND then fucking rehearse it to play to a sold out club. Tonight."

Slim ends his rant by tilting his head as he gives Colson a look of What The Fuck.

"Dawg... Obviously she likes a challenge." Colson throws his arms out to showcase himself.

Slim laughs with the rest of The Bus as he rolls his eyes. Asking if They Know Any Of These Fucking Songs.

"Yeah we do..." AJ says confidently pulling out his phone. "Let's make a list of songs we know and how they fit into the different categories of ideas Luna has."

Sam hands him the paper and pen he asks her for. Getting up to grab more coffee, she stops and turns to the group.

"You know, we'll have nine musicians with us tonight. Besides the drums, I play bass and rhythm guitar... So, between all of us, if we pick the right songs the odds are that one of us will know how to play it." She says.

"You offerin' to get OnStage with us tonight?" Colson teases her.

Sam shrugs out an I'm Just Sayen' before Colson agrees It's A Good Idea and Theory. The group of them sitting together, trying to work out the flow of different songs.

-------------------------------------------------

Flying high over The United States, Ashley, Luna and Dom kick around their own ideas.

"So what do you truly want?" Ashley asks Luna.

"Honestly.... If it was MY show, we'd run a totally obscure mix. Focusing on the Lost Seattle Originals. I'd really LOVE to play a tribute to Mia Zapata, Stephanie Sargent and Layne.... Especially Layne. Considering how forgotten he was."

"So fucked up...." Luna sadly thinks of how the rock legend had laid dead in his apartment for over a week before anyone realized he was missing. The thought still breaks her heart the same way it did when she'd first heard the story.

"I don't think many of his fans are gonna know Seven Year Bitch or The Grits though.... But I don't know because they are hometown bands." Luna's leg is still bouncing as she sighs.

"Do you think you may be overextending yourself on this one?" Ashley says gently.

Not one to admit defeat, Luna's brain is still dancing around itself. Determined to figure this out.

"Wut aboot a King and Queen of grunge homage?" Dom asks. "Smashing togeter a Nirvana and Hole song?"

He thinks it's a great idea. Ashley knows it's not.

Luna's eyes go dark. It's a horrible idea in her opinion. Twisted though, it could be one of her greatest Fuck Yous yet. Luna's mind starts shifting gears.

--------------------------------------------------

"WHAT UP, BIIIITCHES!!!" Luna shouts as she climbs onto The Bus.

Ashley and Dom are behind her. They're met by excited Yos and What's Goods. Ashleigh greeting Luna with a tight hug.

Colson comes charging out from their room. Scooping Luna up, he attacks her with kisses as she wraps her legs around his waist tightly with giggling acceptance. Their kisses are matched with EWWWs and GO TO YOUR FUCKING ROOM. Luna continues to laugh as they kiss each other Hello and exchange I Missed Yous. Colson muttering a Shut The Fuck Up Sam while keeping his mouth on Luna's. Pressing hard on his lips, she plants a solid smooch on Colson before sliding off of him. Hard dick poking her on the way down.

"Sooooo.... I think I might have been a little overambitious with this whole Super Jam thing...." Luna admits.

"Thank the Lawd!!! She crazy but she ain't FUCKIN' stupid!!" Slim yells in relief as he throws his arms up.

"Thanks, Jerk Off." Luna laughs at him.

Slim tosses her an elbow and a Sorry as he laughs with her. She meets his peace treaty along with a smile.

"But I have a list!!" AJ pops in slightly agitated.

"Really?" Luna asks as her smile widens. "Me too!!" She laughs as she pulls a folded piece of paper from her back pocket. "What 'cha got?" She asks as she plops down beside him on one of the couches.

Sitting together, they go over their notes. Some things match up but a lot don't.

"No Seattle Tribute?" AJ asks with disappointment.

"Oooh.... We're still doing something." Luna reassures him. "Do you guys know who Tobi Vale is or who Andrew Wood was?" Luna asks including everyone in their conversation now.

Sam and Ashley do. That's it.

"Okay guys.... Roll up. It's story time." She says.

Staying in place, Luna digs Colson's Sponge Bob case out from in between the couch cushions behind her. His deep voice shouting THAT'S WHERE THE FUCK THAT WENT.

"I shoved it up there last week because of Case.... How awesome would that've been if she'd opened it?" Luna shrugs as she shakes her head at herself. "Total fucking win....." Sighing as she rolls her eyes and continues on. "Anyway... So, THIS is what I'm thinking.... Hold on, gimme a sec."

Firing up a joint, Luna hands it to AJ before lighting another and sending it across to Sam on the other couch. Left and Right. Sparking another for herself to camp on for a moment, she explains exactly What She Wants To Do and Why.

Everyone agreeing that It's A MUCH More Plausible Idea. Fully burnt they head off of The Bus towards the nightclub to rehearse. If it plays out as expected it'll be a fun and sweet tribute. Carrying a harsh kick to the cunt. Only those who are aware of Luna's feelings knowing EXACTLY what she's saying.

Colson drops his arm around Sam's shoulder and plops a kiss on top of her head as they head across the parking lot. She looks up at him like What The Fuck Are You Doin'.

"Thanks for taking care of those sheets yesterday." He says looking down at her with a smile.

"OH. You're welcome." She answers as his arm slips off of her.

Heading to catch up with Luna, Colson turns to shoot Sam another grateful smile. It's a nice scene, considering Sam really didn't care for Colson or think he was good enough for Luna when she first met him. Her opinion slowly changing.

---------------------------------------------------

Word Limit (1 of 3)

To be continued.....

❇Writer's Note: Feel free to share the WHOLE chapter with whomever 😘

[ahsana]

Rehab ~ Dean Winchester

Chapter 1 - The Party

Summary: Gwendolyn Anderson is in her early twenties. For most people that age, they're in college or just starting to find their way. For her, she lost the person closest to her in the universe and she has to find a way to pick up the pieces because everything as she knows it as about to change. After a few events that are less than coincidental, the only thing that seems to make sense anymore is a man with green eyes and a twelve step program.

Pairing: AU!Gabriel Novak x OC!Gwen, AU!Dean Winchester x OC!Gwen & possible other variations. Stay tuned to find out ;)

Word Count: 2038

Chapter Warning: Just like every other chapter in this book so far, there will be detailed drug use, mentions of drugs, paraphernalia, mentions of death and other very sensitive topics. If this could trigger you or set you off in any way possible, I urge you not to read it. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please reach out and get help. You are not alone. Always keep fighting.

Even when things were okay, I still never feared death. I've been on the edge many times; never quite falling off, but never quite holding on either.

A lot of people say overdosing was their rock bottom. It wasn't for me. Heroin is a strong word, and sometimes it even shocks me when I say it. Weird, right?

In health class as a teenager, I saw the pictures of drug addicted people and made a pact with myself in my head that I'd never become one of those people and here I am. I guess I should explain how I got here, though.

« FLASHBACK »

Why did I snort that line? My nose burns, my brain hurts, and my whole body feels like it's buzzing. I'm not exactly sure where the cocaine came from or why exactly I did it but I know that I have to get out of here and fast.

Parties aren't usually my scene, but I figured since it was my last day as a teenager I might as well indulge. My surroundings aren't familiar, just some college frat party that I knew of because I attend school here, but other than that I really have no idea where I am or how I got here.

I'm searching for the exit, pushing past sweaty bodies and other young adults who reek of alcohol and marijuana. I gave up hope halfway through the search because it feels almost as if though it's impossible, so when my eyes land on the staircase in front of me I sigh gratefully.

The door at the end of the hallway is propped open slightly; a large rock wedged between so it couldn't close. The loud music was causing my ears to ring so I walked as quickly as I could and became elated when I realized the door at the end of the hallway leading to outside, giving me a chance to get some fresh air.

I push the door open and realize it's heavier than I first assumed, so I try and let it close behind me gently so it doesn't knock rock out of place. I inhale deeply and look around, only to be met with the fact that I'm on the roof somehow.

"Wow," I mutter, and make my way towards the edge of the building; my shoes making the gravel of the rooftop crunch along the way. I peered over the ledge, and for a second considered flying.

Worse case scenario, I land flat on the pavement, ultimately dying in the process or I make it to the rooftop across the way. I step onto the ledge, squat and then sit; dangling my legs over the side of the building.

My heart is pounding a hundred miles a minute, and all of a sudden tears start streaming down my face.

"I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend," I gasp out of shock because I didn't realize that I wasn't alone up here—and also because a random man is singing to me. I turn my head to face the mystery man and am pleasantly surprised. "You could cut ties with all the lies, that you've been living in," He continues, and I recognize the song and join in with him.

“And if you do not want to see me again, I would understaaaand. I would understaaand," We both sing in unison, and the stranger lets out a fit of giggles which makes me laugh in return.

"So Miss, how are you on this lovely night?" He questions.

"You aren't even going to ask me my name?" I inquire with a grin.

"Nope, don't need to." I nod in response, pretending to understand why.

“I'm doing well, by the way." I add.

"That's amazing.. or.. would be, if you were telling the truth." I cock my brow up, and he quickly adds, "I mean you wouldn't be sitting on the ledge for nothing, right?"

I shake my head in disagreement. "That's where you've got it wrong, sir."

"Sir? Do I really look that old?" He jokes.

"No, but I'm not sure what to call you since we don't need to know each other's names." The stranger sits beside me and lets his legs dangle over the building as well. I take a closer look at his features that are illuminated by the street lights below and I am captivated.

The ridge of his nose, the length of his lashes and his eyes—Wow, his eyes. It's dark, but I can tell that they're brown with a swirl of honey and it reminds me of a Hershey's bar.

"So, did you find what you were looking for?" He asks, and I shake my head no for the second time. "Well then what are you doing?" I shrug. "You're not very talkative, are you?" He asks, seeming genuinely curious.

"I am, but I'm not sure what to say. I'm at a party, drunk and high off coke, sitting with a stranger on the edge of the roof; trying to come up with something I could tell you but I'm at a loss for words here." The man gives me a goofy grin in return.

"Well. We'll probably never see each other again, so why don't you tell me your biggest secret?" I laugh out loud.

"Sir, I've known you for mere minutes and you want me to do something like that? Strange." I mumble in awe.

"I'm not from around here, so I couldn't possibly hold it against you in any way."

"Why did you come here then?" I ask.

"Free booze."

"Interesting. Here—I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." I whisper cheekily to him and he nods his head, agreeing.

"Sure. Okay. Let's start," he thinks for a moment, "My guilty pleasure is Lazy Town, the kids show."

"Ha! That's an awful secret, shame on you!" I reply but laughing while doing so.

"Fine, fine. Um, when I was seventeen I slept with my best mate's girlfriend. He still doesn't know." He whispers guiltily.

"Wow, that's pretty deep. Are they still together?" He nods.

"Been together for eight years, married for three—with two kids."

I chuckle, "How do you know you aren't the baby daddy?"

"Timeline doesn't add up—trust me, I did the calculations as soon as she told everyone she was pregnant the summer after we graduated high school," He trailed off but then turned his head towards me, "Your turn."

I gulp, and try and think of something.

"Um... Well, I might as well go all out then. My parents are both government officials. Amelia and Doug Anderson?" I throw the names out to see if he recognizes them.

"Holy shit," He marvels. "You're Gwendolyn Anderson. I should have recognized you as soon as I seen you! You and your parents are all over TV." I sigh.

"Yeah. But call me Gwen, I hate it when people call me Gwendolyn. Anyways—That's not exactly my secret." I look towards him and he motions for me to continue.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this but.. here we go. My entire life, I've felt like the weight of the world has been on my shoulders. Ever since I was a kid my parents have been pushing me to be the best in every category there has been or ever will be. My senior year of high school was the worst, obviously because of the impending doom of getting into the best college and working on getting scholarship offers; meanwhile keeping all A's, playing volleyball and volunteering."

I continued, glancing back now and then to see if he was still paying attention and he was alert the entire time. "It got to the point where.. I needed some extra help. Adderall was basically my scapegoat and how I functioned for the entire year. My parents were so busy being wrapped up in their own lives and pushing me to my limit that they never discovered I lost myself along the way. Now I'm in college, and I'm still trying to find my way back to a happy medium. But when I looked down at the ground, I realized that for some reason it doesn't even matter anymore."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Have you ever gotten to the point where you feel like you're just numb? Everything is grey scale and there's no color at all? I'm just going through the motions. There's no highs or lows; only this weird middle ground. I thought coming to this party tonight and getting trashed would make me feel better but it didn't change anything." He nods, knowingly. I can tell he understands. He rests his left hand on top of my right one and somehow it felt like my body couldn't get any hotter.

I should be scared, uncomfortable even. I just met this guy and don't even know his name but I'm letting him touch me like we've been friends all our lives. A sudden thought makes me speak up.

"You know, it's not really fair that you get to know my name and I don't know yours." He chuckles.

“It's Gabriel." I smile because it's very fitting. He looks like a Gabriel.

"That's a beautiful name."

He laughs, "Beautiful? More like average. Your name is beautiful."

"I wholeheartedly disagree. I have a grandma name, at least yours fits your age no matter how old you are." He smiles. We sit in silence, his hand still resting on top of mine and I take another look down at the ground.

"How long do you think it would take to reach the ground?" I ask as if he'd actually know the answer.

"For a suicidal person? Too long. For a person just looking for some answers, too fast."

“How do you know which is which?" Gabriel lets out a grunt and laughs.

"Well, do you want to die?" He asks, raising his voice but continues smiling; which is oddly contagious.

"I don't think I'd ever do anything to speed up the process, so ultimately no. Probably not."

"I guess there's an answer then." Gabriel replies.

"An answer?"

"Yeah, the one of many you're looking for. I won't have them all, though."

"B-But I thought you were an all-knowing wizard!" I gasp out sarcastically.

"No, no. But... I maybe might have one.. just for now,"

I raise my eyebrow again and ask, "What might that be?" Gabriel reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny baggie with pills inside of it.

"You might like these," he whispers gently.

"Ah, man. I don't know--"

“I'm sure drugs weren't the first thing you thought of, but maybe they'll help you forget until tomorrow." I sigh and stick my hand out apprehensively.

"What are they?" I question.

"Percocet. Strongest prescription." I nod, remember hearing some of my peers talking about it previously this week. I swallow two of them without a second thought.

« FLASHBACK OVER »

I look down at the person who brought me into this mess, and his face is quickly turning a light shade of blue.

"Gabe, God, You fucking idiot! I told you not to do that much!" I shout and dial 911 as quickly as possible.

The next thing I know, I'm sitting on the front porch steps of his apartment as they're carrying him away on a stretcher. My best friend is dead, and I can officially say I'm terrified.